Approach of Social Groups With Little Sensitization to Organ Donation: Pilot Study in the Gypsy Population to Assess the Best Approach to Determine the Attitude Toward Organ Donation for Transplantation

Background

There are social groups with very low donation rates, and action is needed to try to reverse this situation. The goal of this study was to determine which approach is the best to use with the gypsy population in Spain to determine their attitude toward organ donation.

Methods

The study population screened was the adult gypsy population resident in Spain. An attitude questionnaire regarding organ donation for transplant (“PCID-DTO Ríos: Questionnaire of “Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante” about Organ Donation and Transplant developed by Dr. Ríos]”) was used as the assessment instrument. In 3 gypsy towns, the patriarch was contacted, who agreed to the questionnaire and to inform the others of our presence. Two forms of action were valued: (1) a direct approach (n = 100), with personal interview; and (2) an alternative approach (n = 200), which involved leaving the questionnaire in a meeting point of the town and collecting the questionnaires at the end of the meeting. The completion was anonymous and self-administered.

Results

The completion level of the study was anecdotal in both groups. The direct approach presented several problems: (1) null participation to complete the questionnaire (only 12 questionnaires were collected); (2) the attempt to generate empathy and request re-evaluation generated in 78% of the cases a hostile environment; and (3) the male population presented a harder and more aggressive attitude. With the alternative approach, only 10 of the 200 questionnaires left were retrieved, 9 of them blank or painted.

Conclusions

The approach of the gypsy population is complex; because of their hostile and unfavorable attitude, a more global approach is needed, with the collaboration of people of their own ethnic group.