Concordance of Organ Donation and Other Altruistic Behaviors Among Twins

Introduction: Organ donation and other altruistic behaviors may be influenced by multiple factors, such as demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, and social norms. Research Question: What is the role of genetic factors on altruism in identical and fraternal twin pairs? Design: Twins attendi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) Calif.), 2019-09, Vol.29 (3), p.225-229
Main Authors: Huml, Anne M., Thornton, J. Daryl, Figueroa, Maria, Cain, Katrice, Dolata, Jacqueline, Scott, Karen, Sullivan, Catherine, Sehgal, Ashwini R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Altruism
Charities
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tissue and Organ Procurement
Twins, Dizygotic - genetics
Twins, Dizygotic - psychology
Twins, Monozygotic - genetics
Twins, Monozygotic - psychology
Young Adult
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Summary:Introduction: Organ donation and other altruistic behaviors may be influenced by multiple factors, such as demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, and social norms. Research Question: What is the role of genetic factors on altruism in identical and fraternal twin pairs? Design: Twins attending a twin festival (N = 296) completed an organ donation and altruistic behavior survey. Results: Concordance for stage of change for organ donation was 65% among identical twin pairs versus 33% among fraternal twin pairs (P = .004). Concordance was higher among identical versus fraternal twin pairs for several altruistic behaviors, including giving directions to a stranger (63% vs 24%, P < .001), giving money to a stranger (51% vs 29%, P = .048), donating goods to charity (46% vs 16%, P = .005), and offering a seat on the bus (46% vs 24%, P = .04). Discussion: We conclude that genetic factors may play a role in decisions about organ donation and other altruistic behaviors.
ISSN:1526-9248
2164-6708
DOI:10.1177/1526924819853826