title: Attitudes toward kidney donation.
abstract: The Renal Unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife in Southwest Nigeria intends commencing a kidney transplantation program. This cross-sectional study aimed at examining the willingness of Nigerians to be living-related kidney donors. Three hundred and sixteen Nigerians (96 first-degree relatives of end-stage renal disease patients, 69 rural dwellers and 151 health workers) were interviewed regarding their willingness to donate kidneys using an interview schedule designed to elicit socio-demographic information, knowledge about kidney transplantation and attitude toward kidney donation. Sixty-two percent of health workers, 52.1% of the patients' relatives and 27.1% of rural dwellers expressed willingness to donate. Higher proportions of health workers and patients' relatives--compared with the rural dwellers--were willing to donate a kidney to their children, full-siblings and parents (P<0.05). The level of awareness about kidney transplantation was highest among health workers and least among rural dwellers (P<0.001). Altruism was the primary motivation for those willing to donate a kidney. The most important reason for refusal to donate was fear of adverse health consequences. Among the rural dwellers, never-married persons were more willing than the married to donate (P<0.05). Programs aimed at increasing awareness about the safety of kidney donation, reducing adverse beliefs about kidney donation, and encouraging altruistic tendencies will increase the availability of kidney donors.
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. h.aghanwa@fsm.ac.fj
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Aghanwa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akinsola
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Akinola
authors.forename: R O A
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Makanjuola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011639:Public Opinion; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires