title: [Effects of care experience to the attitude of active euthanasia among the Austrian population–a cross sectional study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attitudes towards active euthanasia by request of competent patients who are seriously or incurable ill people are common in public debates. There is still a lack of knowledge on how people with care experience differ in their attitudes towards active euthanasia from those without.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to find out if and how care experience has an effect on the attitude toward voluntary active euthanasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In spring 2014 a cross-sectional survey was conducted among the Austrian population by a self-developed questionnaire (on basis of a qualitative pilot study). An online-survey was distributed among persons aged 16 to 65 years and a postal survey among those aged 65 years and older (n=725). Descriptive data was analysed with IBM SPSS Version 2.0. Ethical approval has been provided by the Medical University Graz.
  
  
  RESULTS
  48% of the respondents have experience with care, 8.6% as physicians or nurses, 43.7% as family caregiver and 50% as not caring relatives. Multiple answers were possible. People with caring experience–as nurses or family caregiver–show a significantly lower approval of voluntary active euthanasia (p=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Care experiences have an impact on the attitude towards voluntary active euthanasia. Thus, experiences of caring should be better included in end-of-life debates.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institut für Sozialmedizin und Epidemiologie, Medizinische Universität Graz.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sohar
authors.affiliation: 2 Institut für Pflegewissenschaft, Medizinische Universität Graz.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Großschädl
authors.affiliation: 3 Europäisches Trainings- und Forschungszentrum für Menschenrechte und Demokratie der Universität Graz.
authors.forename: Isabella Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: 1 Institut für Sozialmedizin und Epidemiologie, Medizinische Universität Graz.
authors.forename: Willibald Julius
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stronegger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001317:Austria; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D028601:Euthanasia, Active / Q000941:ethics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011639:Public Opinion; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Aktive Sterbehilfe auf Verlangen; Einstellungen; Pflege; attitudes; nursing; voluntary active euthanasia