Ecuadorian Population Residing in Spain and Their Knowledge of Brain Death Concept

The Ecuadorian population forms the largest Latin American immigrant group in Spain. However, their knowledge about the brain death (BD) concept and the relationship with the attitude toward organ donation has been little analyzed. The objective of the study is to analyze the knowledge of the BD concept among the Ecuadorian population resident in Spain. The population under study was the population born in Ecuador and resident in Spain. Inclusion criterion was age older than 15 years stratified by age and sex. The assessment instrument was PCID-DTO-Ríos, a validated questionnaire of attitude toward donation and organ transplantation. Field work involved random selection of respondents based on stratification. The support of immigration support associations was required to obtain sample locations. The completion was anonymous and self-administered. Of the 461 respondents, 22% (n =102) know the BD concept and accept it as the death of the person; 61% (n = 283) do not know it; and for 17% (n = 76) it does not mean the death of the person. The variables related to the correct knowledge of BD are age (P = .007) and marital status (P = .028), with age persisting in the multivariate study (odds ratio, 1.036; P = .008). There is no objective relationship with the attitude toward organ donation. Thus, 60% of those who know the concept are in favor of donating (n = 61), and 59% of those who do not know it are in favor (n = 210; P = .813). The BD concept is little known among Ecuadorians residing in Spain, and it is not associated with the attitude toward donation. •Among Ecuadorian residents in Spain, there is no objective association between knowledge of the concept of brain death and the attitude toward organ donation.•The majority of the Ecuadorian population residing in Spain does not know or accept the concept of brain death as the death of a person.•Among the Ecuadorian population residing in Spain, knowledge of the concept of brain death is not associated with the psychosocial factors described in other populations.