Hospital-based multicenter study in Spain, Mexico and Cuba on attitudes to living liver donation

• Published in: Gastroenterología y hepatología Vol. 38; no. 6; p. 364
• Main Authors: Ríos, Antonio, López-Navas, Ana Isabel, Ayala-García, Marco Antonio, Sebastián, María José, Abdo-Cuza, Anselmo, Martínez-Alarcón, Laura, Ramírez, Ector Jaime, Muñoz, Gerardo, Palacios, Gerardo, Suárez-López, Juliette, Castellanos, Roberto, González, Beatríz, Martínez, Miguel Angel, Díaz, Ernesto, Ramírez, Pablo, Parrilla, Pascual
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitude to Health; Cuba; Female; Hospitals; Human Body; Humans; Liver Transplantation - psychology; Living Donors - psychology; Male; Mexico; Middle Aged; Personnel, Hospital - psychology; Religion; Sampling Studies; Social Values; Spain; Surveys and Questionnaires; Actitud; Hospital personnel; Attitude; Trasplante; Donación hepática de vivo; Transplantation; Personal hospitalario; Living liver donation
• ISSN: 0210-5705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2014.12.004

Given the lack of a sufficient number of livers available for transplantation, living liver donation (LLD) is being developed in the Spanish-speaking world. To do this, it is essential that health workers in hospitals are in favor of such donation, given that they are a key component in this treatment and that their attitudes influence public opinion. To analyze attitude toward LLD among hospital personnel from healthcare centers in Spain and Latin America. Ten hospitals were selected from the «International Donor Collaborative Project»: 3 from Spain, 5 from Mexico and 2 from Cuba. Random sampling stratified by type of service and job category was used. Attitudes to LLD were evaluated through a validated questionnaire on psychosocial aspects. The questionnaire was anonymous and self-administered. Statistical tests consisted of Student's T test, the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Of the 2,618 employees surveyed, 85% (n=2,231) were in favor of related LLD; of these, 31% (n=804) were in favor of unrelated LLD. No association was found between the country of the interviewed, personal-social variables or work-related variables. The following factors were associated with a favorable attitude toward related LLD donation: having had personal experience of donation and transplantation (P<.001); being in favor of deceased donation (P<.001); believing that one might need a possible transplant (P<.001); being in favor of living kidney donation (P<.001); being willing to accept a liver from a living donor (P<.001); having discussed the matter of donation and transplantation within the family (P<.001) and with one's partner (P<.001); carrying out pro-social type activities (P<.001); being Catholic (P=.040); believing that one's religion is in favor of donation and transplantation (P<.001); and not being concerned about the possible mutilation of the body after donation (P<.001). Hospital personnel from Spain and Latin America had a favorable attitude toward LLD, which was associated with factors directly and indirectly related to donation and transplantation, family and religious factors, and attitudes toward the body.