title: Knowledge and attitudes regarding eye donation and corneal transplant: medical versus nonmedical university students in a developing country in Africa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to assess the knowledge and attitudes of medical and nonmedical University students regarding eye donation and corneal transplant.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a comparative, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey of fourth-year medical and environmental science students at the University of Nigeria conducted in October 2012. Participants' demographics, knowledge, and attitudes on eye donation and corneal transplant were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Values for P less than .05 were considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants (107 medical students, 75 environmental science students) were 117 men and 65 women aged 22.3 ± 2.2 years (range, 18-32 y). There were no significant intergroup differences regarding awareness of eye donation (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 0.92-3.17; P = .0924) and willingness to donate their own (OR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.33-1.76; P = .5260) or their relatives ' eyes (OR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.29-1.98; P = .6274). Significantly more medical students than environmental science students knew that donation consent is given by the donor while alive (OR 2.93; 95% CI: 1.56-5.4; P = .0005) and had good knowledge of donor eye preservation (OR 2.43; 95% CI: 1.27-4.68; P = .007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among medical and nonmedical undergraduate students, there are crucial deficits in knowledge and attitudes on eye donation and corneal transplant. Tailored donation awareness campaigns and introduction of undergraduate course work on eye donation may reverse the trend.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, PMB 01139, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Boniface Ikenna
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Eze
authors.forename: Obiekwe
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Okoye
authors.forename: Joy Ngozi
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Eze
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001364:Awareness; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult