Factors Associated with the Willingness to Become a Living Kidney Donor: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Living donor kidney transplantation is the preferred method of treating kidney failure. The donor agrees to undergo an elective procedure for the benefit of the recipient.

To assess the attitude toward living kidney donation and to investigate the factors that contribute to kidney donation willingness.

A cross-sectional study was carried out between December 2020 and February 2021. The study covered a representative group of 953 Poles aged 18-77, living in all Polish voivodships. The relationship between sociodemographic factors, personal values (Personal Values List), the total score of life satisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale) and the willingness to donate a kidney to another human was assessed using a logistic regression model.

The most frequently chosen personal values were: good health; physical and mental fitness; love and friendship; knowledge and wisdom. The most frequently chosen symbols of happiness were: good health, successful family life, being needed by others. The median satisfaction with life for the entire group was 20 [16; 24]. Voluntary donation of a kidney to another human being i.e., family, friends, strangers were more often declared by women (OR = 1.21; Cl95%: 1.03-1.42), for whom the most important symbol of happiness was a life full of adventures, travels (OR = 1.39; Cl95%: 1.06-1.82) and the most important personal value was goodness and tenderness (OR = 1.21; Cl95%: 1.05-1.40). Total scores of The Satisfaction with Life Scale correlated positively with the willingness to voluntarily donate a kidney (OR = 1.03; Cl95%: 1.003-1.06), while age correlated negatively (OR = 0.99; Cl95%: 0.98-0.99).

Respondents who declare their willingness to be a living kidney donor are mainly female, for which the most important symbol of happiness is a life full of adventures and travel, and the most important values are personal goodness and tenderness. The desire to donate a kidney to another person decreases with age and grows with life satisfaction.

ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT04789122).