title: Knowledge Regarding Organ Donation and Willingness to Donate among Health Workers in South-West Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Organ transplantation program in developing countries is still significantly dwarfed. Health workers are undeniably important in the success of transplantation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the knowledge and attitude of health workers toward organ donation in South-West Nigeria with a view to explaining reasons for these shortcomings.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study conducted on 850 health care workers, self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information from participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 850 participants, 766 (90.1%) returned their completed questionnaires. The mean±SD age of participants was 36.7±9.2 years. Majority (93.3%) of participants had heard of organ donation; 82.5% had desirable knowledge. Only 29.5% and 39.4% would be willing to donate and counsel potential organ donors, respectively; 36.5% would consider signing organ donation cards. Only 19.4% believed that organ transplantation is often effective and 63.4% believed they were permitted by their religion to donate. Permission by religion (OR 3.5; 95% CI 2.3 to 5.3), good knowledge (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.4 to 5.7), readiness to sign donation cards (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.7 to 3.8), discuss organ donation (OR 2.7; 95%CI 8.0 to 63.8), and knowing somebody who had donated (OR 2.9) independently influenced willingness to donate organ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is disparity in knowledge of organ donation and willingness to donate among health care workers. Efforts should be intensified to give comprehensive and appropriate education to health care workers about organ donation to bridge this gap.
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oluyombo
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Fawale
authors.affiliation: Urological Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Ojewola
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Busari
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Ogunmola
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Medicine Department, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Olanrewaju
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Akinleye
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Y O
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Oladosu
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Olamoyegun
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gbadegesin
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Obajolowo
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Soje
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adelaja
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Unit, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ayodele
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Ayodele
keywords: Community health workers; Health Knowledge; Health personnel; Nigeria; Organ transplantation; attitudes; practice