Can Family Attributes Explain the Racial Disparity in Living Kidney Donation?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2007
Description
Background: Living donation is a safe, effective treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), yet rates of live kidney donation remain low. Potential transplant recipients may be more inclined to ask a family member for a living donation if they feel familial closeness. Methods: The FACES II and the Living Organ Donor Survey were administered to patients attending pretransplant education to assess individual perceptions of family structure and willingness to request a living kidney donation from a family member. Results: A total of 328 potential transplant recipients were included in the study: 200 (61%) African American and 128 (39%) Caucasian. Approximately half were willing to ask for a living donation. Individual's perception of family cohesion, adaptability, and type as measured by FACES II showed most families were mid-range with optimal cohesion and adaptability. Family cohesion and adaptability showed no association with being willing to request a live donation, but those single/never married were only half as likely to ask for donation (odds Ratio [OR] 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31-0.86, P = .01). Lower education (β = -0.49) and unmarried status (β = -0.31) predicted a lower cohesion score. Conclusion: Family type, cohesion, and adaptability showed no differences across race and was not related to the potential recipient's willingness to ask for a live donation. Although responses by race did not differ, an important finding showed that only half of ESRD patients are willing to ask for a live organ donation, and those patients that were single/never married were less likely to ask for a living donation. Research surrounding this reluctance is warranted.
Citation Information
Lunsford, S. L.; Simpson, K. S.; Chavin, K. D.; Mensching, K. J.; Miles, L. G.; Shilling, L. M.; Smalls, G. R.; and Baliga, P. K.. 2007. Can Family Attributes Explain the Racial Disparity in Living Kidney Donation?. Transplantation Proceedings. Vol.39(5). 1376-1380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2007.03.017 PMID: 17580143 ISSN: 0041-1345