Knowledge and willingness to donate kidney for transplantation among general population in Saudi Arabia

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 2277 - 10
• Main Authors: Alshehri, Mohammed, Tawhari, Ibrahim, Alqahtani, Thekra S, Alqahtani, Alhanouf Y, Al Jallal, Marwah S, Asiri, Ghufran B, Alshahrani, Maymunah A, Majrashi, Maryam A, Khuzayyim, Ahmed A, Albishri, Fai D, Alshahrani, Wajan A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 22.08.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Attitudes; Blood & organ donations; Care and treatment; Chronic kidney failure; Comparative analysis; Consent; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographic aspects; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Donation of organs, tissues, etc; Donor education; Donors; Education; End-stage renal disease; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Home and school; Humans; Hypertension; Kidney diseases; Kidney transplantation; Kidney Transplantation - psychology; Kidney transplants; Kidneys; Knowledge; Male; Medical ethics; Middle Aged; Organ transplantation; Parent participation; Population studies; Public awareness; Public opinion; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Response rates; Saudi Arabia; Social networks; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tissue and Organ Procurement - statistics & numerical data; Tissue Donors - psychology; Tissue Donors - statistics & numerical data; Transplantation; Transplantation ethics; Transplants; Young Adult; Young adults; Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia; Donor education; Organ transplantation; Transplantation ethics; Public awareness
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19766-2

Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), offering a superior quality of life and extended survival compared to other renal replacement therapies. As the number of ESRD patients grows, so does the demand for organ transplants. The prevalence of ESRD is anticipated to escalate further due to the rising rates of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and obesity. Organ donation, particularly from living donors, remains the main source of transplants in the region, despite the notable underutilization of potential deceased donors' organs. The objective of this research is to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to donate kidneys among the general population, a pivotal step in addressing the organ shortage crisis. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia using a previously validated questionnaire. The questionnaire collected demographic data and insights into general attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about organ donation. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of knowledge and willingness to donate. The study involved 705 participants, predominantly young adults with a high level of education. Awareness of kidney donation was high, and knowledge about donation was broad, especially regarding religious permissibility and awareness of the donor registry. However, only 25% expressed willingness to donate their kidneys, and a 4% were already registered as donors. Furthermore, higher educational level was not associated with higher odds of knowledge or willingness to donate. Despite the considerable awareness, actual donor registration rates were low, highlighting the necessity for targeted educational interventions and a deeper understanding of the cultural and socioeconomic barriers that exist.