1. Willingness to Donate Kidney Among Malaysians.
- Author
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Islahudin, Farida and Ying Ying Hong
- Subjects
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KIDNEYS , *MALAYSIANS , *KIDNEY transplantation , *LEWIS basicity , *KIDNEY failure - Abstract
Kidney transplantation is a relatively safe procedure and is lifesaving for patients with endstage renal failure (ESRF). Although the number of patients with ESRF is increasing, kidney donation remains a challenge in Malaysia due to the low number of kidney donors. The reason behind this is unclear. However, work has shown that knowledge and belief are associated with kidney donation. Therefore, the aim of the study is to identify level of knowledge and belief towards kidney donation as well as factors associated with willingness to donate kidney among the Malaysian population. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data was collected using a questionnaire, among Malaysian adults with informed consent. Incomplete questionnaires were excluded. A total number of 391 respondents were included. The majority (n=369, 94.4%) were willing to donate their kidney, while the remaining were not (n=22, 5.6%). The mean total knowledge score was 5.9 ± 2.5 (maximum score of 13). The mean total belief score was 36.3 ± 4.6 (maximum score of 55). It was demonstrated that age, knowledge score and belief score were predictors of willingness to donate kidney. An increase in 1 unit of the knowledge score increased the likelihood of kidney donation by 1.29 times (95% CI = 1.07-1.55, p = 0.006). An increase in 1 unit of belief score increased the likelihood of donation by 1.23 times (95% CI = 1.10-1.37, p < 0.001). A reduction in 1 unit of age, increased the likelihood of kidney donation by 1.06 (95% CI = 0.91-0.98, p = 0.001). The current study indicates Malaysia has a huge population of potential kidney donors. However, there is still a need to improve public knowledge and belief towards kidney donation through health education. Public education on donor registration is also vital to optimize on the number of potential donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020