Antonio Ríos1, Ana I López-Navas2, Juan Flores-Medina3, Laura Martínez-Alarcón4, Marco Antonio Ayala-García5, Joaquín Carrillo6, Álvaro Sánchez6, Guillermo Ramis7, Pascual Parrilla4, Pablo Ramírez4. 1. International Collaborative Donor Project ("Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante"), Murcia, Spain; Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Transplant Unit, Surgery Service, IMIB - Virgen de la Arrixaca University Clinical Hospital, Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: arzrios@um.es. 2. International Collaborative Donor Project ("Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante"), Murcia, Spain; Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Murcia, Spain. 3. Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Murcia, Spain. 4. International Collaborative Donor Project ("Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante"), Murcia, Spain; Transplant Unit, Surgery Service, IMIB - Virgen de la Arrixaca University Clinical Hospital, Murcia, Spain. 5. International Collaborative Donor Project ("Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante"), Murcia, Spain; School of Medicine of the University of Quetzalcoatl in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. 6. International Collaborative Donor Project ("Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante"), Murcia, Spain. 7. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Puerto Rican and Cuban populations constitute the largest immigrant groups in Florida. This leads to an increase in their involvement in the organ donation and transplantation process (ODT); however, there is very little understanding about their attitude toward and knowledge of related key aspects such as brain death (BD). OBJECTIVE: Analyze knowledge of the BD concept among the Puerto Rican population residing in Florida. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The population under study is born in Puerto Rico and residing in Florida. Inclusion criteria was the population over 15 years stratified by age and sex. The assessment instrument was a validated questionnaire of attitude toward donation and organ transplantation "PCID-DTO-Ríos." A random selection of people was surveyed according to stratification. Support from immigration assistance associations in Florida was needed to locate potential respondents. Survey completion was anonymous and self-administered. RESULTS: Of the 259 respondents, 35% (n = 90) know the BD concept and consider it the death of an individual, 44% (n = 113) do not know it, and 21% (n = 56) do not consider them death. Variables significantly related to the correct knowledge of BD are as follows: sex (P = .012); marital status (P = .043); and couple's opinion (P = .001) and religion (P < .001). In the multivariate analysis, the variables that persist as significant are being married (odds ratio [OR] = 5.231; P = .002); to know the organ donation and transplantation couple attitude as favorable (OR = 4.819; P = .001) and not being Catholic (OR = 4.090; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Only one third of the Puerto Rican population residing in Florida knows the concept of BD and accepts it as the death of a person.
INTRODUCTION: Puerto Rican and Cuban populations constitute the largest immigrant groups in Florida. This leads to an increase in their involvement in the organ donation and transplantation process (ODT); however, there is very little understanding about their attitude toward and knowledge of related key aspects such as brain death (BD). OBJECTIVE: Analyze knowledge of the BD concept among the Puerto Rican population residing in Florida. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The population under study is born in Puerto Rico and residing in Florida. Inclusion criteria was the population over 15 years stratified by age and sex. The assessment instrument was a validated questionnaire of attitude toward donation and organ transplantation "PCID-DTO-Ríos." A random selection of people was surveyed according to stratification. Support from immigration assistance associations in Florida was needed to locate potential respondents. Survey completion was anonymous and self-administered. RESULTS: Of the 259 respondents, 35% (n = 90) know the BD concept and consider it the death of an individual, 44% (n = 113) do not know it, and 21% (n = 56) do not consider them death. Variables significantly related to the correct knowledge of BD are as follows: sex (P = .012); marital status (P = .043); and couple's opinion (P = .001) and religion (P < .001). In the multivariate analysis, the variables that persist as significant are being married (odds ratio [OR] = 5.231; P = .002); to know the organ donation and transplantation couple attitude as favorable (OR = 4.819; P = .001) and not being Catholic (OR = 4.090; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Only one third of the Puerto Rican population residing in Florida knows the concept of BD and accepts it as the death of a person.