Efficacy of an educational programme for secondary school students on opinions on renal transplantation and organ donation: a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Organ shortage for transplantation is a crucial problem; educational interventions may increase donations and decrease opposition.


OBJECTIVE
To test the efficacy of an educational programme on opinions on organ transplantation and kidney donation.


METHODS
Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial: eight intervention and eight control schools were randomly selected from the 33 public schools that agreed to participate. Targets: students in the last 2 years of secondary school (17-18 years); seven schools per group completed the study. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME:


METHODS
first questionnaire (anonymous); 2 h lesson in each class; 2 h general session with patients and experts; second questionnaire.


METHODS
questionnaires.


METHODS
Differences between questionnaires (comparative analysis); interest; satisfaction with the programme; (cross-sectional analysis).


RESULTS
1776 first, 1467 second questionnaires were retrieved. Living kidney donation: at baseline 78.8% of students would donate a kidney to a relative/friend in need. The answers were unaffected by type of school but depended on sex (females more prone to donate, P<0.001); the answers did not change after the lessons. Cadaveric kidney donation: baseline opinions were mixed (intervention schools: 31.5% yes, 33.7% no, 34.8% uncertain), depending on type of school (classical-scientific high schools more positive than technical institutes, P<0.001), sex (males more prone to donate, P<0.001). Answers on living and cadaveric donation were correlated (P<0.001). The educational intervention increased favourable (31.5 to 42.9%) and uncertain (34.8 to 41.1%) opinions and decreased negative ones (33.7 to 16%) (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Educational interventions are effective in increasing interest and improving opinions about cadaveric organ donation.
Piccoli
Giorgina Barbara
GB
Internal Medicine Department, University of Turin, Italy. gbpiccoli@hotmail.com
Soragna
Giorgio
G
Putaggio
Stefania
S
Mezza
Elisabetta
E
Burdese
Manuel
M
Vespertino
Elisa
E
Bonetto
Antonella
A
Jeantet
Alberto
A
Segoloni
Giuseppe Paolo
GP
Piccoli
Giuseppe
G
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011639:Public Opinion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement