The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #40332

Clarence Spigner, DrPH, MPH¹, Vicky Cárdenas, MHS, PhC², Marcia Weaver, PhD¹, and Margaret Allen, MD³. (1) Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195, (2) Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 357236, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, 206-685-8476, cspigner@u.washington.edu, (3) Hope Heart Institute, 1124 Columbia Street, Suite 120, Seattle, WA 98104

Purpose: To assess knowledge and opinions about the process of human organ donation and transplantation among American teens.

Methods: A culturally-sensitive 35-item self-administered survey assessing knowledge, opinions, and family discussion about organ donation and transplantation was conducted with 247 students in 13 separate classrooms encompassing three urban high schools in the same city.

Results: More than 50% of the students did not know the correct answers to 13 of the 16 questions on factual knowledge. The sources of information about organ donation and transplantation among students were primarily television and school. African-Americans and Asian-Americans were significantly less likely to want to become organ donors when compared to non African-Americans and non Asian-Americans, respectively. Asian-Americans were significantly less likely to have discussed the matter with family member.

Conclusions: Accurate, up-to-date, culturally-sensitive youth-oriented health education that emphasizes family discussions about organ donation and transplantation is needed.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, audience members will be able to
• · discuss knowledge gaps about the organ donation and transplantation process among high school students
• · recognize the differential in knowledge about organ donation and transplantation among different minority groups of high school students
• · list principle sources of information about organ donation among high school students
• · describe reluctance to be an organ donor among high school students and how this differs across minority groups

Keywords: Adolescents, Ethnic Minorities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.