Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward Abortion
In: The public opinion quarterly: POQ, Band 38, Heft 2, S. 159
ISSN: 1537-5331
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In: The public opinion quarterly: POQ, Band 38, Heft 2, S. 159
ISSN: 1537-5331
In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 38, Heft 2, S. 159-173
ISSN: 0033-362X
Attitudes toward abortion, as obtained in a 1971 nationwide survey, are presented for students & faculty in nursing, medicine, & social work, & are compared to attitudes of the general population. Attitudinal differences are examined among the professions, between students & faculty, & in terms of religion. Data were collected in 47 nursing, 11 medical, & 15 social work schools by means of a pretested structured questionnaire. The sample of nursing schools was stratified by religious affiliation, size of school, community size, & type of program & degree. Because medical & social work schools were more homogeneous with respect to these variables, samples for these schools were not stratified. 3 Catholic medical schools & 3 Catholic social work schools were included, however. 7 attitudinal items were the basis for the paper. 5 dealt with conditions under which abortion should be performed; 2 with whether the R would help a client obtain an abortion. These items had a modified Likert type response continuum. Overall, health professionals favored abortion under certain conditions, particularly to protect the health of the mother. Social work R's were most positive toward abortion, nursing R's were were least favorable. Medical professionals were most like that part of the public with some Coll education in their attitudes toward abortion. Fewer Catholic health professionals favored abortion on demand than did the Catholic public. In each health field, Catholic students tended to be more favorable toward abortion than did Catholic faculty. The findings have implications for the provision of abortion-related services by health professionals. The most freely given service can be expected from non-Catholic social workers. Most non-Catholic medical professionals also could be expected to be supportive of a woman seeking a legal abortion. While Catholic health professionals are more cautious about abortion than Catholics in general, they seem to be moving toward a more positive position than they held in the past. 5 Tables. AA.