Comparing knowledge of corneal and organ transplantation and attitudes towards corneal and organ donation among University health students in Kumasi - Ghana

Abstract

Background: To determine and compare the level of knowledge of corneal and organ transplant and attitudes towards organ donation among health students at the university level, Kumasi-Ghana. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on 300 health students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The data was collected using self-administered questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.4 ± 2.9. The level of awareness of organ transplant was high (95.0%). There was a statistically significant association between age and awareness of organ transplant (χ2=26.029, p<0.05). The level of awareness of corneal transplant was low (45.3%) as compared to that of organ transplant. Among those aware of organ transplant only 47.7% were aware of corneal transplant while cornea is the tissue respondents were least willing to donate (4%). There was a statistically significant association between age (χ2 =17.705, P<0.05), departments (χ2 =14.822, p<0.05), academic level (χ2 =11.655, p<0.05) and awareness of corneal transplant. The main source of information for the current knowledge about transplants for all students was through the digital media (89.5%) and lectures (55.4%) Most of the participants knew about kidney (97.5%) as the most transplanted organ. Most of the participants were willing to donate an organ (57.6%). The major reasons behind willingness to donate were the love for humanity (61.6%) and giving others the chance for quality life (58.7%). Fears of complication after donation (91.4%) and lack of enough information concerning organ donation (54.4%) were the main reasons behind unwillingness to donate. Conclusion: There is a low level of awareness of corneal transplant (45.3%). compared to organ transplants (95.0%), there is the need to increase the level of knowledge of corneal transplant among the health students through digital media and student curriculum during their ophthalmic rotations