Organ Donation and Ethnicity Study

Organ Donation and Ethnicity Study (ODES)

Despite several successful Campaigns there remains a severe shortage of organs for transplant in the UK and particular for Indo-Asian and Afro-Caribbean ethnic groups. Unfortunately, people from Indo-Asian and Afro-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds are more likely to need an organ transplant because of higher rates of high blood pressure and diabetes than the general population which can lead to kidney failure. Furthermore, since some organs are often matched by tissue type and blood group, an organ from the same ethnic group is more likely to be successful. The Organ Donation and Ethnicity Study (ODES) aims to understand better the relationship between ethnic beliefs and organ donation by talking to people from a White British/Irish, Indo-Asian and Afro-Caribbean ethnic background with a positive or ambivalent opinion of organ donation and transplantation. From this sample we aim to understand how people are managing to integrate the idea of organ donation and transplantation into their lives including their ethnic and spiritual beliefs.
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