Table 4 Mean differences in attitudes towards euthanasia (ATE) scores when suggested questions were grouped according to different themes based on method of ending life and their legal status in Sri Lanka (the number of respondents in each category are the same as in Table 3)

Gender

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

Male

–

–

–

–

–

Female

–

–

–

–

–

Age

NS

NS

NS

0.005

NS

Above median

–

–

–

− 0.32 (0.89)

–

Below median

–

–

–

− 0.55 (0.82)

–

Being an atheist

NS

0.007**

0.002**

0.001**

0.014

Yes

–

0.28 (1.24)

0.05 (0.91)

0.25 (0.94)

− 0.18 (0.81)

No

–

− 0.44 (1.04)

− 0.56 (0.77)

− 0.48 (0.85)

− 0.66 (0.76)

Being Buddhist

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

Yes

–

–

–

–

–

No

–

–

–

–

–

Experience

NS

NS

0.042

0.002

NS

Student – first year

–

–

− 0.67 (0.79)

− 0.64 (0.86)

–

Student – last year

–

–

− 0.49 (0.74)

− 0.43 (0.79)

–

Doctor

–

–

− 0.46 (0.8)

− 0.29 (0.91)

–

Past requests for euthanasia

0.01

NS

0.005

0.003

0.02

Yes

− 0.57 (0.84)

–

− 0.34 (0.7)

− 0.21 (0.83)

− 0.47 (0.72)

No

− 0.82 (0.79)

–

− 0.6 (0.79)

− 0.52 (0.86)

− 0.68 (0.77)

Self-acceptance of euthanasia

 < 0.001**

 < 0.001**

 < 0.001**

 < 0.001**

 < 0.001**

Yes

− 0.58 (0.76)

− 0.1 (0.94)

− 0.32 (0.68)

− 0.23 (0.78)

− 0.41 (0.67)

No

− 1.27 (0.73)

− 1.27 (0.88)

− 1.15 (0.7)

− 1.05 (0.79)

− 1.27 (0.66)