THE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS ABOUT ORGAN DONATIONS AND TISSUE TRANSPLANTATION OF MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENTS AT AFYON KOCATEPE UNIVERSITY

OBJECTIVE: To investigate level of information and attitudes of the Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Medicine students about organ transplantation and donation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 150 students (50 individuals in each class) randomly selected from the first three classes of Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Medicine. Questionnaire prepared with 35 questions including original questions and 150 questionnaires were taken into consideration. Frequency distributions were calculated and the obtained data were evaluated as percentage. RESULTS: A hundered and fifty individuals participated in the questionnaire for Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Medicine period 1, 2,3 students. The demographic characteristics of the students participating in the survey were examinated. While 70% of the respondents said they learned their knowledge about organ donation in the medical faculties , 30% were informed by family physicians, the internet, close relatives-friends and the media. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed said they wanted to donate organs, and 24% did not want to donate. There was no significant difference between the father education level and the desire to have organ donation. There was a significant difference between the father’s level of education of the mothers and the desire to have an organ donation. There was a significant difference in the consciousness level between the related classes with the waiting period of the organs taken from cadaver and it was seen that the level of consciousness increased as the class stage increased. CONCLUSIONS: To meet the needs of the organ transplantation; it should be emphasized that all health personnel, including physicians, and our people should be informed about organ transplantation. It should be planned to eliminate the existing religious concerns with the education that will be provided from the primary and secondary education