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Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) facilities are assessed based on the proportion of patrons who consent to donate. To evaluate the individual characteristics that may influence donation consent, we analyzed the most recent transactions of 9,767,839 patrons of 203 Ohio DMVs between January 1, 2014 and November 17, 2018. Patron age, gender, donor designation, and DMV location were linked via patron zip codes with census tract data on race, ethnicity, income, and education. The Standardized Donor Designation Ratio (SDDR) (the observed number of donors at each DMV divided by the expected number of donors based on patron demographic characteristics) was calculated. Altogether 5,769,561 DMV patrons (59.1%) were designated as donors. Donor designation was independently associated with younger age, female gender, nonblack race, Hispanic ethnicity, and higher income. Across 203 DMVs, the percent donors ranged from 33% to 73%, and SDDRs ranged from 0.7 to 1.61. The correlation between the 2 measures demonstrated that 47% of the variation in SDDR was explained by percent donors. In conclusion, across DMVs there is substantial variation in organ donor designation rates. SDDRs that adjust for DMV patron characteristics may distinctly and more accurately describe individual DMV facility success in promoting organ donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: To explore ethnic and gender differences in willingness to donate organs among teenagers and determine factors associated with those differences. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 883 students attending health science class at nine inner-city high schools in Seattle, Washington. Knowledge and personal experience regarding donation and transplantation, willingness to donate on an ordinal scale, and student demographics were measured. Results: Although only 40% of the cohort had a driver’s license, 24% of those with driver’s licenses had signed a donor card. Girls were more willing to donate than boys (p < .001) and whites more willing to donate than minorities (p < .001). In a multivariate ordinal logistic regression model, after controlling for school, age, religious preference, home zip code, knowledge regarding donation, willingness to receive a transplant, conversations with others regarding donation, and knowing someone who had donated or received an organ, girls remained more willing to donate compared to boys (odds ratio [OR] 2.10), and white students remained more willing to donate than black (OR 2.38), Chinese (OR 3.03), Hispanic (OR 2.5), Southeast Asian (OR 2.86) and other ethnic students (OR 3.33) (all p < .05). Conclusions: Gender and ethnic differences in willingness to donate organs exist among high school students. Efforts to increase teenage donation should focus on increasing knowledge and promoting communication about donation with others while remaining cognizant of gender and ethnic differences regarding motivators for donation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]