Differences in Attitude Toward Organ Donation in the Three Main Cities of Cuba.

BACKGROUND: Cuba is one of the Latin American countries with the highest rates of organ donation. Social and cultural differences among the population throughout the country may also affect attitudes toward donation. Knowledge of these characteristics would facilitate awareness of the population most reluctant to donate and transplant. OBJECTIVE: We sought to analyze the differences in attitudes toward organ donation among Cubans living in the main capitals of Cuba. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study population. The study group was the Cuban population living in the cities of Cienfuegos (n=636), Havana (n=920), and Santiago de Cuba (n=455), extracted from the database of the International Collaborative Donor Project. Sample of the population. Participants were older than 15 years, and data were stratified by geographic area, age, and sex. Assessment instrument. We used a validated questionnaire of attitude toward organ donation for transplant (PCID-DTO-Ríos), anonymously filled in and self-administered. STATISTICS: Student t test was applied together with the χ2 test, complemented by an analysis of the remainders. RESULTS: The favorable attitude among inhabitants in Cienfuegos was 71.2% (n=453), 68.3% (n=628) among those in Havana, and 69.5% (n=316) among those in Santiago de Cuba (P < .05). The psycho-social profile of respondents favoring organ donation was similar in the 3 cities. CONCLUSIONS: The attitude toward organ donation among the population of the main cities of Cuba was favorable and similar in all of them. The psycho-social profile toward organ donation was similar in the 3 cities.

Impact of Catholicism on the Attitude Toward the Donation of Organs Among African Residents in Spain.

INTRODUCTION: The African population is one of the largest immigrant groups in Europe. Religious beliefs are deeply rooted in most African societies and condition their attitude toward organ donation. OBJECTIVE: We sought to analyze the influence of Catholicism in the attitude toward organ donation among Africans residing in Spain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study participants were born in Africa and were residents in Spain. Data were obtained from the database of the International Donor Collaborative Project, which includes a sample of the population for 15 years, stratified by those who were born in Africa, as well as age and sex. The instrument used was a validated attitude questionnaire toward living kidney donation (PCID-DTO-Ríos). RESULTS: Of the population under study, 13% are Catholics (n = 475) and 80% (n = 2896) are Muslims. The favorable attitude toward the donation of cadaver organs is 53.7% (n = 255) among Catholics compared with 25.6% (n = 742) among Muslims (P < .001). On the contrary, 17.7% of Catholics have an unfavorable opinion (n = 84), while 45.5% (n = 1280) of Muslims have an unfavorable opinion; 28.6% of Catholics and 29.2% of Muslims are undecided. In addition, among Catholics who believe that their doctrine accepts organ donation and transplantation, 70.6% (n = 132) are in favor of donating a corpse compared to those who believe that Catholic doctrine is against (P < .001 ), with only 35% (n = 7) in favor of the donation. CONCLUSIONS: Africans who have converted to Catholicism have a more favorable attitude toward donating their own organs than those who continue in Islam.

Analysis of the Socio-Personal Profile of Latin Americans Living in Spain and the United States: Does It Justify the Differences in Attitude Toward Organ Donation?

INTRODUCTION: There are differences in the attitude toward organ donation between Latin Americans living in Spain and those living in the United States. OBJECTIVE: We sought to analyze the socio-personal factors that can condition the difference in attitude toward donation between Latin Americans living in the United States and those living in Spain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants in the study were Latin Americans living in Spain (group A; n=1237) and the United States (Florida) (group B; n=1450), extracted from the database of the International Collaborative Donor Project (PCID). Inclusion criteria were a sample population stratified by area, country of birth, age, and sex. The instrument used was a validated attitude questionnaire toward living kidney donation (PCID-DTO-Rios.) Participants were randomly selected to be surveyed according to stratification. RESULTS: The attitude in favor of Latin Americans residing in Spain (group A) was 60% (n=745) vs 33% (n=485) of residents in the United States (group B) (P < .001). The socio-personal profile of the Latin Americans in Spain compared with those in the United States indicates that they are mainly women (63.5% vs 43.7%, respectively), younger (31.78 vs 37.31 years, respectively), have more secondary education (21.2% vs 16.3%, respectively) and university studies (11% vs 6%, respectively), are of South American origin vs those who are Mexican and Central American, respectively, and there is a higher percentage of atheists/agnostics (8.1% vs 3.7%). However, the personal profile toward donation is similar in both groups, both for and against organ donation. CONCLUSIONS: The personal social profile of the Latin American resident in Spain is different from that of the resident in the United States. However, the psycho-social profile for and against organ donation is similar in both countries.