title: Perceptions in living kidney donation: what protagonists think and feel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although donor perceptions of donation have been evaluated in several programs, evaluation of associated recipients has not been as frequent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to evaluate and compare after transplantation, donor and recipient perceptions of donation.
  
  
  METHODS
  After transplantation 35 recipients and 45 donors completed a sociodemographic and a donation perception questionnaire. We applied the Fisher test to descriptive (absolute and relative frequency) data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  57.8% of donors were female and 62.9% of recipients male. 53.3% of donors were siblings, 44.5% parents, and 2.2% a daughter. Most recipients (71.9%) thought that the donation was the donors' initiative and 21.9% that it was suggested by medical team. 96.4% responded that it was the donor's wish that determined their decision; 51.4% had serious or some doubts about accepting the option, but for 48.6% it was an easy decision. Among the donors, 88.9% decided by themselves and 8.9% were asked for donation. For 91.1%, their wish was the main reason of the decision, but 8.9% felt a moral obligation; 77.8% thought it was an easy decision, and 17.8% hesitated a little 84.4% were not worried about their future health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altruistic motivations were predominant in both groups. Most recipients thought that the motivation for donation was self-determined, a finding that agreed with donor perceptions. Perceptions about the quality of and changes in emotional relationship were the same in both groups. Donors and recipients referred to the donation process as positive, but there were some negative emotions and perceptions.
authors.affiliation: Liaison Psychiatry and Health Psychology Unit, Oporto Hospital Center, Oporto, Portugal. inescarvalho.psi@gmail.com
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Frade
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Henriques
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires