Knowledge, Attitude and Willingness towards Kidney Donation among Residents of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Background: End Stage Kidney Disease is a growing problem worldwide. The preferred treatment option for ESKD is kidney transplantation. But there is a great discrepancy between the number of donors and recipients all around the world. Donor shortage limits transplant practice and leads to increased mortality, worse quality of life and increased healthcare expenditure. Studies assessing the public’s state of mind regarding kidney donation are required to address this problem. Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge, attitude and willingness towards kidney donation in residents of Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based analytical cross sectional study was done among residents of Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia, between January and March of 2024. Data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed by statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 27. Descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage and mean with standard deviation was used to present results while association was assessed by using Pearson chi square test and multinomial logistic regression. P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: It found that knowledge was poor in 358 (84%) and good in 68 (16%) of the participants. Attitude was favorable in 330 (77.5%) and unfavorable in 96 (22.5%) of the participants. Regarding willingness to be a live kidney donor to a relative, 265 (62.2%) said that they were willing, 29 (6.8%) of the respondents answered “No” while 132 (31%) were undecided. On willingness to be a deceased kidney donor, 220 (51.6%) were willing, 50 responded they were not willing and 156 (36.6%) were not sure. The most common reasons given for lack of willingness was: I have not thought about it; My family may not want me to; My religion forbids it; I am worried it would be sold and fear of future kidney disease. In the tests of association, two factors were found to have association with willingness; having previously donated a tissue or an organ and attitude. Conclusion: The study found a comparatively low level of knowledge but high favourable attitude. There was good level of willingness especially towards live donation to a relative. Interventions addressing knowledge levels and eliminating barriers towards willingness need to be designed and implemented.