title: [Organ procurement in Germany: a regional survey among students].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Germany the extent of organ donation is still low and not sufficent to duly address all patients on the waiting lists. It is likely that a lack of information and a consecutive uncertainty in the adult population relate to this imbalance. Virtually no data exist about teenagers' knowledge of the facts of organ donation.
  
  
  METHODS
  4000 questionnaires were distributed in secondary schools in the state capital city Mainz, Germany. The students were asked to respond to 12 questions. The survey was voluntary and performed in class, without the students using any information sources.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 1155 questionnaires were analysed. Overall 11.3 % of the teenagers carried an organ donor card. 48.9 % of the students had spoken about organ donation and brain death in their families. 37.0 % of the students declined organ donation. Of these, 72.4 % named a lack of education and informations as the primary reason for this statement. More non-German than German pupils declined organ donation (43.4 % vs. 36.2 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than half of the pupils between 14 years and 20 years of age support the concept of organ transplantation as therapeutic option. Nevertheless the proportion of organ card holders is small among these students. These regional results identify an information deficit in young people in Germany as one of the main causes for inadequate acceptance of organ donation. Therefore, information and structured education should be intensified in German schools as possible measure to increase the number of future organ donor card holders in Germany.
authors.affiliation: I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsmedizin Mainz. johannes.rey@unimedizin-mainz.de
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grass
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Barreiros
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haberstroh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bahnemann
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Galle
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult