title: Evaluation of attitude toward living organ donation among adolescents in Southeast Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The infant and youth population constitutes a sector in which early awareness is important to increase favorable attitudes toward donation. Objectives were as follows: (1) to analyze the attitudes of adolescents toward living organ donation; and (2) to determine the psychosocial variables affecting them.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Southeast of Spain a random sample was stratified according to Compulsory Secondary Education (CSO) school. In the 10 selected schools we performed a random sampling of each of the classes from the first to the fourth year of CSO. Attitudes were evaluated using a validated questionnaire lowering psychosocial aspects of donation. The self-administered questionnaire was completed anonymously. Statistical analyses employed Student t test and the χ(2) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding living kidney donation, 89% (n = 3146) of adolescents favored it, although only 29% (n = 1035) in unrelated cases. For living liver donation, 78% (n = 2753) were in favor of related donation, but only 19% (n = 668) were in favor if it was unrelated. The favorable attitude toward living donation was mainly associated with the following variables: (1) being a woman; (2) having previous experience with the donation-transplantation process; (3) having spoken about the matter of donation and transplantation with family and friends; (4) a favorable attitude of one's mother and father; (5) concern about possible bodily mutilation after donation; and (6) having performed pro-social type activities (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Related living donation is well accepted among adolescents on the Southeast of Spain. There was a high acceptance of unrelated living donation compared with studies published in other geographic areas.
authors: International Collaborative Donor Project, Murcia, Spain. ARZRIOS@teleline.es
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ríos
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Febrero
authors: A
authors: A
authors: López-Navas
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Martínez-Alarcón
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Sánchez
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Guzmán
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Ramírez
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Parrilla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D000533:Altruism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D032882:Comprehension; D005195:Family Relations; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D037921:Gift Giving; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires