Table 1 Descriptive statistics of participant demography and their responses on euthanasia related questions
From: Attitudes on euthanasia among medical students and doctors in Sri Lanka: a cross sectional study
Category | Frequency and percentage (%) |
|---|---|
Experience and education | |
First-year medical undergraduate | 143 (33.6) |
Final-year medical undergraduate | 141 (33.2) |
Practicing doctors | 141 (33.2) |
Gender | |
Male | 178 (41.9) |
female | 247 (58.1) |
Religion | |
Buddhism | 344 (80.9) |
Catholicism/Christianity or Evangelical faith | 22 (5.2) |
Islam | 15 (3.5) |
Hindu | 24 (5.6) |
Atheist | 16 (3.8) |
Undisclosed | 4 (0.9) |
Primary source of knowledge on euthanasia | |
Undergraduate/Post graduate curriculum | 155 (36.4) |
Seminars – professional and religious | 128 (30.1) |
Journal articles | 108 (25.4) |
Media/Internet | 192 (45.1) |
Peer education | 125 (29.4) |
Opinion on legalising euthanasia | |
Yes | 200 (47.1) |
Undecided | 115 (27.1) |
No | 110 (25.9) |
What illnesses should euthanasia be an option for | |
Terminal cancer | 188 (44.2) |
Degenerative neurological disease | 177 (41.6) |
End organ failure | 129 (30.3) |
Pain and suffering with any terminal illness | 180 (42.3) |
No response | 82 (19.2) |
Reasons for not favouring euthanasia* | |
It is against my religious beliefs | 103 (24.2) |
It is against my conscience | 115 (27.0) |
Doctors should not interfere with the course of the nature | 81 (19.0) |
It is a violation of the Hippocratic oath | 45 (10.5) |
It is equivalent to murder | 71 (16.7) |
Experience of past requests for euthanasia by a patient | |
First-year undergraduate | 5 (3.4%) |
Final-year undergraduate | 40 (28.3%) |
Practicing doctors | 47 (33.3%) |
Self-acceptance of euthanasia | |
Yes | 312 (73.4) |
No | 113 (26.6) |
Circumstances for self-acceptance of euthanasia | |
Loss of dignity | 46 (14.7) |
Loss of bodily function | 123 (37.8) |
Pain | 184 (56.6) |
Being dependent on others | 185 (56.9) |
Loss of meaning in life | 134 (41.2) |
Other | 60 (18.4) |