Socio-Demographic Characteristics
The study population consisted of 100 participants with mean age, 32.05±11.48years and age range, 18-67years. Out of the sample, 66% were males and 34% were females. The ages of males ranged from 20-67years with mean ± (SD), 33.98 ± 12.47years and that of females ranged from 18-54years with mean ± (SD) age, 28.29 ± 8.19years (Table 1).
Table 1: Distribution of socio-demographic characteristics (N=100)
Variable Freq (%)
|
Gender (N=100)
Male 66 66
Female 44 44
Age-Range/yrs. (N=100)
≤ 20 3 3
21-30 60 60
31-40 20 20
41-50 7 7
51-60 7 7
≥ 60 3 3
Marital Status (N=100)
Single 63 63
Married 32 32
Divorced 2 2
Widowed 3 3
Religion (N=98)
Christian 82 83.7
Muslim 15 15.3
Traditionalist 1 1
Educational Level(N=100)
No Formal Education 3 3
Elementary 6 6
Junior High 12 12
Senior High 12 12
Vocational/ Commercial 5 5
Training 9 9
Polytechnic 9 9
University 44 44
|
Residence(N=96)
Rural 27 28.1
Urban 69 71.9
|
N- Number of participants, Freq- Frequency of participants, %-Percentage of participants, Variable-socio-demographic characteristic
Sources of Knowledge of Transplant
Television was the main source of knowledge (49.4%) and Newspaper the least (20.2%) (Figure 1).
Knowledge and Awareness of Corneal Donation for Transplantation
Out of the 100 participants, 98% responded to the awareness of corneal transplant section out of which 32.7% of the respondents were aware of it.
52.94% of the female respondents knew about corneal transplant against 21.88% of males with a statistically significant association (p=0.002, ᵪ2=9.745).
There was statistically significant association between awareness of corneal transplant and Ethnicity (p=0.018, ᵪ2=14.822) and level of education (p=0.001, ᵪ2=26.029). The association between knowledge of corneal transplant and occupation was strong (p=0.000, ᵪ2 =24.254) (Table 2
Table 2: Association between knowledge of Transplant and Socio-demographic characteristics
Variable
|
Knowledge of corneal transplant
|
|
Freq(%) ᵪ2 P-Value
|
Gender
Male
Female
Ethnicity
Akans
Ga/ Adangme
Ewe
Guans
Nzema
Other
Educational Level
No formal Education
Elementary
Junior High
Senior High
Vocational
Training
Polytechnic
University
Residence
Rural
Urban
Marital Status
Single
Married
Divorced
Widowed
Age-Range(years)
≤ 20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
≥ 60
Religion
Christian
Muslim
Traditionalist
|
14(21.88) 9.745 0.002*
16(52.94)
17(26.98)
6(75)
3(37.50) 15.294 0.018*
0(0)
0(0)
6(60)
0(0)
1(20)
0(0) 25.151 0.001*
0(0)
2(40)
4(44.44)
1(11.11)
24(54.54)
6(23.08) 1.925 0.165
26(38.24)
25(39.68) 5.000 0.172
6(20.69)
1(50)
0(0)
1(33.33) 4.938 0.424
24(40)
5(26.31)
1(14.29)
1(14.29)
0(0)
26(32.10) 2.061 0.357
5(25)
1(100)
|
*significant at p<0.05, ᵪ2 –Chi-square value, Freq-Frequency,Variable-socio demographic characteristics, %-01Percentage
Attitudes toward Corneal Donation
Out of the respondents to willingness to donate eyes (cornea) section, 67.3% were willing to donate their corneas after death.
Age range was a relevant predictor of willingness to donate cornea after death (p=0.043) with the age-range (≤ 20years, 51-60years and ≥60years) with highest willingness to donate (Figure 2).
All the 32 participants who were aware of corneal transplant answered questions on corneal donation. Out of the respondents, 28(87.5%) reported that corneal donation is done surgically whereas 1(3.1%) indicated that it is done medically (using drugs) and 3(9.4%) reported that it can either be done surgically or medically (Table 3).
Table 3: Knowledge of Corneal Donation
Knowledge of Eye Donation Freq (%)
|
Knowledge of Eye Donation (N=32)
It is giving the whole eye to someone with diseased eye It is giving part of the eye(cornea) to others with diseased eye It can be done to replace either part or whole eye Do not know
|
1(3.1)
12(37.5)
16(50.0)
3(9.4)
|
Who can donate his Eye?(N=32)
Anyone Only Adults The aged Do not Know
Victims of which death can donate their eyes (N=32)
Road Traffic accidents Death through Diseases Death through natural causes All types of Death Do not Know
|
10(31.3)
18(56.3)
1(3.1)
3(9.4)
7(21.9)
4(12.5)
3(9.4)
12(37.5)
6(18.50)
|
Freq-Frequency of respondents, %-Percentage
26% of the study participants answered the part that asked about reasons for not donating. Out of the respondents, 7.7% reported that, it was against their religious belief, 11.5% indicated their families were not in support, 26% did not have any reason and 43.2% did not have much knowledge about organ or corneal donation. On the reason for donating, 67.1% reported it was out of love for humanity; 20% indicated it was their religious obligation; 51.4 opined they were donating to give others the chance for a better life whilst 14.3% indicated they will only donate if they will take money (Table 4).
Table 4: Reasons for Donating and Decision Making
Reasons for donating and Decision making
|
Freq(%)
|
Reasons for Donating
(multiple responses , N=70)
Love for humanity 47(67.1)
My Religious Obligation 14 (20)
Give others the chance for a 36(51.4)
better life
If I will take money 10(14.3)
Decision Making
(Multiple responses)
Myself (N=97) 64(66)
Family (N=97) 28(29.2)
Spouse (N=96) 19(19.6)
Children (N=97) 27(27.8)
Should You be paid for
donating?(N=98)
Yes 29(30.2)
No 67(69.8)
Should Your surviving
family be paid?(N=94)
Yes 39(41.5)
No 55(58.5)
|
N-Number of respondents, Freq-Frequency of respondents, %-Percentage of respondents
Participant indicated their reservations about donations in Ghana (multiple responses).
The majority (50.5%) indicated that they do not have much information about donation. Most of the respondents (36.6%) also indicated they do not trust the Ghana health system and 18.3% reported that their families will not agree.
Less than 50% of the respondents knew that one can donate his organ when alive or dead (Table 5).
Table 5: Concerns and Reservations about Donation and Transplant in Ghana
Concerns and Reservations
of Donation
|
Freq(%)
|
Concerns of Donation
(multiple responses)
I do not have enough information 49(50.5)
about organ donation
I do not like the thought of people 18(18.6)
taking out my body parts
I think my body would be grossly 19(19.6)
disfigured when taken out
I want all my body parts to be 14(14.4)
intact during my funeral
It is against my religious belief 13(13.4)
It is a taboo in my culture 11(11)
I am uncomfortable with this topic and 11(11)
don’t want to discuss it
Reservations
I do not trust the Ghana Health system 34(36.6)
I’m afraid my body parts would be 7(7.5)
used for rituals
I’m afraid my body parts may be 6(6.5)
sold for profit
I’m afraid Doctors may not do 6(6.5)
much to my life when I’m sick because
they want my body parts
My family will not agree 17(18.3)
I have no reservation 22(23.7)
When can one donate body parts?
Whilst Alive 36(40.4)
After Death 7(7.9)
Both 40(44.9)
Do not know 6(6.7)
Is Organ and Corneal Donation
Urgent in Ghana?
Yes 62(76.5)
No 19(23.5)
|
Freq-Frequency of respondents. %-Percentage of respondents. Reservations-Reservations toward donation
Willingness to Indicate Donor Status on Drivers’ License Form
97% of the sample stated whether they were willing to indicate their donor statuses when going for drivers’ license. Out of the respondents, 63.9% of them were willing to indicate their donor statuses on the Drivers’ License form when going for them. There was statistically significant association between willingness to indicate Donor status on Drivers’ License form and willingness to willingness to donate cornea after death (p=0.000, ᵪ2 =12.187) (Table 6).
Table 6: Association between willingness to donate cornea and willingness to indicate donor status on drivers’ license form
Willingness to Donate
|
Willingness to indicate Donor Status on License Form
|
|
Freq (%) ᵪ2 P-Value
49(75.54) 12.187 0.000*
|
Cornea
|
*significant at p<0.05, Freq-Frequency of respondents, ᵪ2-Chi Square value