title: Efficacy of an educational programme for secondary school students on opinions on renal transplantation and organ donation: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, University of Turin, Italy. gbpiccoli@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Giorgina Barbara
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soragna
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Putaggio
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mezza
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burdese
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vespertino
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonetto
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeantet
authors.forename: Giuseppe Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Segoloni
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccoli
mesh_terms: 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