Psychosocial profile in favor of organ donation.
BACKGROUND
The lack of organ donation continues to be a major limiting factor in transplantation. Our aims are: (1) to define the psychosocial profile against organ donation, and (2) to determine the impact of a law on the procurement and transplantation of organs based on "presumed consent" in the population.


METHODS
The population in this study (n = 2000) was randomly selected and stratified according to sex, age, and geographic localization. The attitude toward organ donation and transplantation was evaluated according to a questionnaire that probed psychosocial aspects of donation. Statistical comparisons were performed using the chi2 and logistic regression tests.


RESULTS
The population attitude toward organ donation was favorable in 63% of subjects, unfavorable in 31%, and 6% did not respond. With regard to the law based on "presumed consent," only 24% of the population agreed with the law; 53% thought it was an abuse of authority. The population subgroup with a negative attitude to the law was characterized by: age over 40 years, low educational level, no previous experience with organ donation or transplant, no experience in prosocial activities, a refusal to accept cadaver manipulation or mutilation, and lack of knowledge of the brain-death concept.


CONCLUSIONS
The psychosocial profile against donation is a person above 40 years with a low level of education who has never performed prosocial activities, did not have previous experience with organ donation or transplantation, displays no knowledge of the brain-death concept, and rejects cadaver manipulation. For these people a law based on "presumed consent" is considered an abuse of authority.
Conesa
C
C
Coordinación Regional de Trasplantes de la Comunidad Autónoma de Murcia, Servicio de Cirugia General y del Aparato Digestivo I, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.
Ríos
A
A
Ramírez
P
P
Rodríguez
M M
MM
Rivas
P
P
Canteras
M
M
Parrilla
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D012067:Religion; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement