Impact of single classroom-based peer-led organ donation education exposure on high-school students and their families

Abstract

Aims: The aim of the study is to assess the impact of single classroom-based, organ donation education session by high-school students on improvement in knowledge and intent to donate organs in their peers and their families. Settings and Design: Quantitative interventional study with before-after design done in high-school sections of two private schools of Delhi in July and August 2018. Subjects and Methods: Participants were all 1583 high-school students present on the day of activity. Organ donation education was provided by 30-min presentation in individual classrooms, along with distribution of frequently asked questions booklet on organ donation by 44 self-motivated high-school students to the peers. We collected pre- and post-intervention questionnaire and family interaction feedback responses from participants, within 1 week before, on intervention day and 3 weeks after it. Main outcome measures were improvement in students' knowledge, intent to donate, family discussion, and actual organ donor pledge registrations. Results: There was a significant improvement in students' knowledge (mean scores increased from 9.16 to 13.91 [P = 0.000]). Significantly increased (P = 0.000) proportion of students had positive intent to donate (66.9% vs 80.9%) and wanted to encourage their family members for organ donation (72.6% vs 87.2%) after the intervention. 1144 (84.2%) students reported discussion in their families, 250 (18.4%) students' families planned to take, and 67 (4.9%) families (one or more persons) actually took organ donor pledge after the intervention. Conclusions: The educational intervention by peers, instead of health-care personnel, led to significant improvement in high-school students' knowledge, intent to donate, family discussion, and actual organ donor pledge registrations.