OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the knowledge and attitudes of medical and nonmedical University students regarding eye donation and corneal transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a comparative, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey of fourth-year medical and environmental science students at the University of Nigeria conducted in October 2012. Participants' demographics, knowledge, and attitudes on eye donation and corneal transplant were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Values for P less than .05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The participants (107 medical students, 75 environmental science students) were 117 men and 65 women aged 22.3 ± 2.2 years (range, 18-32 y). There were no significant intergroup differences regarding awareness of eye donation (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 0.92-3.17; P = .0924) and willingness to donate their own (OR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.33-1.76; P = .5260) or their relatives ' eyes (OR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.29-1.98; P = .6274). Significantly more medical students than environmental science students knew that donation consent is given by the donor while alive (OR 2.93; 95% CI: 1.56-5.4; P = .0005) and had good knowledge of donor eye preservation (OR 2.43; 95% CI: 1.27-4.68; P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: Among medical and nonmedical undergraduate students, there are crucial deficits in knowledge and attitudes on eye donation and corneal transplant. Tailored donation awareness campaigns and introduction of undergraduate course work on eye donation may reverse the trend.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the knowledge and attitudes of medical and nonmedical University students regarding eye donation and corneal transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a comparative, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey of fourth-year medical and environmental science students at the University of Nigeria conducted in October 2012. Participants' demographics, knowledge, and attitudes on eye donation and corneal transplant were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Values for P less than .05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The participants (107 medical students, 75 environmental science students) were 117 men and 65 women aged 22.3 ± 2.2 years (range, 18-32 y). There were no significant intergroup differences regarding awareness of eye donation (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 0.92-3.17; P = .0924) and willingness to donate their own (OR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.33-1.76; P = .5260) or their relatives ' eyes (OR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.29-1.98; P = .6274). Significantly more medical students than environmental science students knew that donation consent is given by the donor while alive (OR 2.93; 95% CI: 1.56-5.4; P = .0005) and had good knowledge of donor eye preservation (OR 2.43; 95% CI: 1.27-4.68; P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: Among medical and nonmedical undergraduate students, there are crucial deficits in knowledge and attitudes on eye donation and corneal transplant. Tailored donation awareness campaigns and introduction of undergraduate course work on eye donation may reverse the trend.