title: Education in organ donation among students in Germany - results of an intervention study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Germany, organ donation remains low and is not sufficient to duly address all patients on the waiting lists. It is likely that lack of information and subsequent insecurity in the adult population relate to this imbalance. Virtually no data exist about teenagers' knowledge of organ donation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire-based survey was performed among all 11th and 12th-grade students of secondary schools in Mainz, Germany. All students were subsequently offered an information event. The survey consisting of 17 questions was repeated later. The survey was voluntary and performed in class without the students using any information sources.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1165 (48%) students participated in the first survey, and 1491 (61.7%) in the second survey. 11.3% in the first and 19.55% in the second survey had an organ donor card. 38.83% reported having informed themselves within the last 12 months on organ donation. 56.56% would have filled out an organ donor card with an approval if they had had to decide at the time of survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When young people discuss organ donation in their families or when they seek information themselves, the acceptance of organ donation greatly improves. Our data suggest that education on organ donation can double the number of carriers of an organ donor card among students.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Mainz, Germany. johannes.wilhelm.rey@t-online.de
authors.forename: Johannes Wilhelm
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grass
authors.forename: Peter Robert
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Galle
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiesslich
authors.forename: Gaël P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Hammer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000193:education* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult