214072 Tribes Sharing Life: Results from a Pilot Test of an Organ and Tissue Donation Education Intervention for American Indian Tribal College Students

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM

Nancy L. Fahrenwald, PhD, RN , College of Nursing, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
Christine Belitz, BS , SD Lion's Eye Bank, Sioux Falls, SD
Arliss Keckler , SD Lion's Eye Bank, Outreach Coordinator, Sioux Falls, SD
Among American Indians (AIs) there is a need for renal transplantation largely due to type 2 diabetes. Consent rates for deceased donation among AIs are low. This study tested an intervention to increase intent to serve as an organ/tissue donor among AI tribal college students. The study was based on the Transtheoretical Model and the cultural traditions of story-telling and gift giving. Community-based participatory research methods and a 2-group quasi-experimental design were used. Six tribal colleges were randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental program was classroom-based education; control was posted print materials promoting the project web-site. The sample was AI adults attending tribal colleges (N=399). Outcomes were (a) stage of motivational readiness (SMR) to serve as an organ/tissue donor, and (b) enrollment in a donor registry. The classroom approach enrolled more students than control (p<.001). Of all who enrolled, there were no significant group differences in changes in either SMR to register as a donor or in registry enrollment (p>.05); 61% of all participants progressed in SMR and 20% enrolled in a state registry. McNemar's test was used to compare pre-and post-intervention SMR for all participants who were categorized as stage non-progressed (no change in stage of readiness, 39%), or stage progressed (progressed one or more stages of readiness, 61%). No participants regressed in stage. Progression in SMR from pre- to post-intervention was significant, ÷2(1)=17.79, p<.05. Both interventions resulted in changes in intention to serve as a donor. Greater numbers were enrolled from the classroom approach.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Diversity and culture
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the cultural adaptation of a multi-tribe intervention for organ and tissue donation education. 2. Describe the methodology used to test whether a cultural intervention that promotes serving as an organ and tissue donor among tribal college students results in increased participation. 3. Describe the outcomes of a quasi-experimental test of the Tribes Sharing Life intervention.

Keywords: American Indians, Behavioral Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the researcher on this grant.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.