An assessment of the effectiveness of the Mottep model for increasing donation rates and preventing the need for transplantation--adult findings: program years 1998 and 1999

The National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) evaluated the effects of a community-implemented health education program for adult members of minority population groups to affect attitude, knowledge, and intent to change behavior. In addition, this study represents 1 of the first major initiatives to formally address prevention as a strategy to contribute to reducing the need for organ/tissue transplantation among minorities in the United States. The study targeted students (youth) and adults representing different ethnic groups (African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, Filipinos, Latinos, and Native Americans) who attended health education presentations addressing organ tissue donation, transplantation, and illness prevention in 15 different cities in churches, schools, and other sites. A cross-sectional study that used questionnaires was designed for collecting data from all participants. This article presents data on the adult sample only. Preintervention and postintervention data were collected from 914 adult participants to determine any immediate effects of the intervention. By using data from matched sets of the preintervention and postintervention questionnaires for all adult participants, there were significant increases in (P < or =.000) trust in doctors, future plans to become organ donors, and in participants' spiritual/religious beliefs about organ/tissue donation. There was also a significant increase (P <.05) in participants' awareness of the perceived need for organ/tissue donation. African-American participants were significantly more likely (P < or =.000) to report trust in doctors, future plans to donate organs/tissue, and perceive the need for donation as a result of MOTTEP presentation. Caucasian participants showed a significant increase (P < or =.007) in trust in doctors, perceived need for organ donation (P < or =.05), and in shifting spiritual/religious beliefs about organ/tissue donation (P < or =.02). Attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and behavioral intentions about organ/tissue donation and illness prevention can be affected by culturally appropriate health education programs designed for targeted population groups. Sustained changes in behavioral intentions toward organ donation and illness prevention may require multiple educational interventions in different community settings to increase donation rates and improve behavioral health practices to prevent illness.