Medical students represent a new generation of medical thought, and if they have a favourable attitude towards organ donation this will greatly encourage its promotion.
OBJECTIVE:
To analyse the attitude of medical students in Spanish universities towards the donation of their own organs and to determine the factors affecting this attitude.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Type of study: A sociological, interdisciplinary, multicentre, and observational study in Spain.
STUDY POPULATION:
Students studying a degree in medicine enrolled in Spain (n = 34,000).
SAMPLE SIZE:
A sample of 9598 students (confidence of 99% and precision of ±1%), stratified by geographical area and academic year. Instrument of measurement: A validated questionnaire of attitude towards organ donation and transplantation (PCID-DTO RIOS) was self-administered and completed anonymously.
RESULTS:
The questionnaire completion rate was 95.7% (n = 9.275). 80% were in favour of donation, 2% against and 18% were undecided. The following main variables were related to a favourable attitude: being of the female sex (Odds Ratio = 1.739); being in the sixth year of the degree (OR = 2.506); knowing a donor (OR = 1.346); having spoken about ...