Analysis of factors associated with family decision on corneal donation

Abstract

Objective: analyzing the influence of schooling and kinship on families’ decision to donate corneas for transplants. Method: quantitative, cross-sectional and retrospective study whose sample comprised 291 records of interviews conducted with family members of potential corneal donors from January 2015 to December 2017, who were treated in a public, general and large-sized hospital in Porto Alegre City, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Results: 53.3% of the potential corneal donors were male at mean age of 57 years (57 ± 11); 55.7% were married and 29.6% of them died during the night shift, which was the shift when death took place more often. With respect to families’ decision, 60.8% of interviewees decided for donation. There was association between donation and interview shift; dawn was the least favorable time (p = 0.04). The mean time between patients’ death and the interview with family members was 1:39 (± 1: 20) and it did not influence families’ decision (p = 0.63). Among the interviewed family members, 58.8% were women and 53.3% were descendants of the potential donor. Descendants decide about the donation more often than ascendants, siblings or spouses. The age group of the interviewed family members (41 ± 13) was statistically different from that of potential donors. There was association between schooling and decision to donate (p = 0.03); family members with higher schooling were more often favorable towards donation. Conclusions: Family members’ schooling, degree of kinship and interview shift had positive influence on individuals’ decision to donate corneal tissue for transplants.