Awareness of eye donation in the rural population of India.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the "awareness of eye donation" and "willingness to pledge eyes for donation" in the rural population of Andhra Pradesh, southern India.


METHODS
A total of 7,775 subjects of all ages, representative of the rural population of Andhra Pradesh, participated in the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study (APEDS). Subjects older than 15 years were interviewed regarding awareness of eye donation and willingness to pledge eyes for donation.


RESULTS
Age-gender adjusted prevalence of awareness of eye donation in this population was 30.7% (95% CI: 29.5-31.9) but only 0.1% (age-gender adjusted prevalence) (95% CI: 0.05-0.25) had pledged eyes. On multivariate analysis the awareness of eye donation was significantly less in those subjects > or = 70 years old (OR 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8), illiterates (OR 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.2), females (OR 0.8; 95% CI: 0.7-0.9), lower socioeconomic status group (OR 0.4; 95% CI: 0.4-0.5) and Christians (OR 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.6). Media comprised the major source of information about eye donation. Of those aware of eye donation, 32.9% were willing to pledge eyes, and 50.6% needed more information to decide whether or not to pledge their eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
There needs to be more transfer of knowledge if more eyes are to be pledged. One-third of those aware of eye donation have not pledged their eyes, and an additional 50.6% needed more information to decide. This means only about one-fifth of those aware of eye donations have pledged their eyes.
Krishnaiah
Sannapaneni
S
International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. krishnaiah@icare.stph.net
Kovai
Vilas
V
Nutheti
Rishita
R
Shamanna
Bindiganavale R
BR
Thomas
Ravi
R
Rao
Gullapalli N
GN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*