Resumen:
Introduction
Religious factors have conditioned the attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (ODT) since the beginning of transplantation, despite the fact that most religions are in favor of transplantation.
Objective
To assess the impact of religious beliefs of medical students on their attitude toward ODT.
Method
Population under study: Medical students in Spanish universities. Study sample: Stratified by geographical area and academic course. Assessment instrument: Attitude ODT questionnaire PCID-DTO-Ríos, anonymous and self-administered.
Results
Of all students, 42% (n = 3907) declare themselves atheists or agnostics. The remaining 58% (n = 5368) declare themselves to be religious, the majority being Catholic (55%, n = 5102). Of the rest, 0.2% are Muslims (n = 8), 0.1% Protestants (n = 1), and the remaining 2.7% (n = 257) indicate other religious doctrines but do not want to specify it. Regarding their attitude toward ODT, those who consider themselves atheists or agnostics have a more favorable attitude than those who consider themselves religious (84% versus 76%; P < .001). Among those who follow some kind of religion, Catholics are more in favor of ODT than non-Cath...