Current state of knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward organ transplantation among academic students in Poland and the potential means for altering them.
BACKGROUND
Students manifest a high level of social commitment. Improving their knowledge and developing more positive attitudes toward organ transplantation may increase the number of organ donations. This study was an assessment of the knowledge and attitudes toward organ transplantation among young people in Poland, with an overview of current beliefs and potential methods for improving transplantology awareness.


METHODS
The study included 400 medical students and 400 nonmedical students from public universities in Kraków, Poland. Data were collected by using an anonymous questionnaire examining demographic factors and transplantology issues.


RESULTS
Despite the overall positive attitude toward transplantology among academic students in Poland, the state of knowledge of the nonmedical population remains relatively low. The most important issues for social education to focus on are the role of presumed consent and brain death diagnosis, actual hazards of living donations, recipient qualification criteria, and the attitudes of religious authorities. The overall level of knowledge and the number of positive attitudes were significantly higher among medical students than among nonmedical students, proving that formal educational programs are more efficient than the more accessible but less reliable sources of knowledge.


CONCLUSIONS
Introduction of transplantology issues in schools and churches, promoting the positive outcomes of organ transplantation rather than negating false beliefs, and eliminating misleading information from the media may significantly increase young people's knowledge and result in more positive attitudes toward transplantology in a society-wide fashion. This outcome could create a favorable background for introducing an opt-in system of consent for organ donation.
Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Angiology, Kraków, Poland. Electronic address: ewelina.ag.nowak@gmail.com.
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Nowak
Jagiellonian University, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology, John Paul II Hospital, Kraków, Poland.
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Pfitzner
Cardiosurgical Students' Scientific Group of the Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
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Koźlik
Cardiosurgical Students' Scientific Group of the Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
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Kozynacka
Cardiosurgical Students' Scientific Group of the Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
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Durajski
Jagiellonian University, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology, John Paul II Hospital, Kraków, Poland.
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Przybyłowski
D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000523:psychology; D011044:Poland; D013334:Students; D013337:Students, Medical; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement