[Organ donors in Spain: evolution of donation rates per regions and determinant factors]

Abstract

Background and objective: Analysis of the evolution of the donation rates in different Spanish regions within the last years. Description of the factors with more specific weight related to the number of donors.

Material and method: Retrospective descriptive study, including numbers about donation, population, population aged 70 or more, traffic mortality, interviews for donation and refusals, according to the region between 2001 and 2006. Besides the descriptive analysis, correlation between factors was studied stratifying by year. To evaluate time evolution, a general linear regression model of repeated measures was performed.

Results: Inhabitants number, population over 70 years and traffic victims correlated with the general number of donors, donors of these age group and donors deceased in traffic accidents, respectively. These relationships do not apply to every region. Refusals percentage to donation was not related to the number of interviews performed and its decrease was related to higher donation rates. Even though not so constantly, higher percentages of donors aged >or= 70 and lower traffic death ones were related to higher donation rates.

Conclusions: Evolution in the number of donors follows the population growth and the decrease of refusals to donation, even though there are different explanations according to the region.