# Knowledge and Attitude on Eye Donation Among Medical and Nursing Students in a Tertiary Care Centre in Western India

## TL;DR

This study examines the knowledge and willingness of medical and nursing students in Western India regarding eye donation, highlighting the need for better education and awareness.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into the knowledge gaps and attitudes of future healthcare professionals regarding eye donation in a specific Indian region.

## Key findings

- Only 49% of participants were willing to donate their eyes.
- 71% of participants had good knowledge about eye donation.
- Many participants were hesitant due to lack of family support.

## Abstract

Background

Corneal blindness poses a significant public health concern in India. Penetrating keratoplasty stands out as the most efficient and frequently conducted solid organ transplantation procedure, providing significant potential for visual rehabilitation in affected patients, but its broad application continues to be impeded by the limited availability of donor corneas. The low rate of eye donation has been attributed to both the reluctance of potential donors to pledge their eyes and the inadequate efforts by healthcare workers to educate the public about the eye donation process, signifying the need to assess the knowledge and attitude about eye donation among medical and nursing students.

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude about eye donation among medical and nursing students in a tertiary care centre in Western India.

Methodology

In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, 500 medical and nursing students were selected as participants by convenience sampling. Knowledge and attitude were assessed regarding eye donation by using a self-designed, pre-validated questionnaire, which contained 13 questions (eight in the knowledge domain and five in the attitude domain). Descriptive statistics were used to elaborate on the participants’ demographic characteristics. The categorical variable was measured in percentage while the continuous variable was conveyed as mean ± SD. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. All analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 20.

Results

Out of 500 participants who completed the questionnaire, 204 (40.8%) were male and 296 (59.2%) were female. It was seen that 47 participants (9.4%) had excellent knowledge (score > 6), 355 participants (71%) had good knowledge (score 4-6), and 98 participants (19.6%) had poor knowledge (score < 4) about eye donation. Only 245 participants (49%) were willing to donate their eyes.

Conclusion

There is a need to impart knowledge and modify attitudes about eye donation among medical and nursing students since they will be playing a major role in educating and motivating potential donors regarding eye donation. Mass education and awareness programs are also needed to encourage the attitude of a family as a unit since many of the participants were hesitant to donate because of a lack of support from family.