title: Determinants of acceptance of end-of-life interventions: a comparison between withdrawing life-prolonging treatment and euthanasia in Austria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  End-of-life decisions remain a hotly debated issue in many European countries and the acceptance in the general population can act as an important anchor point in these discussions. Previous studies on determinants of the acceptance of end-of-life interventions in the general population have not systematically assessed whether determinants differ between withdrawal of life-prolonging treatment (WLPT) and euthanasia (EUT).
  
  
  METHODS
  A large, representative survey of the Austrian adult population conducted in 2014 (n = 1,971) included items on WLPT and EUT. We constructed the following categorical outcome: (1) rejection of both WLPT and EUT, (2) approval of WLPT but rejection of EUT, and (3) approval of both WLPT and EUT. The influence of socio-demographics, personal experiences, and religious and socio-cultural orientations on the three levels of approval were assessed via multinomial logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher education and stronger socio-cultural liberal orientations increased the likelihood of approving both WLPT and EUT; personal experience with end-of-life care increased only the likelihood of approval of WLPT; and religiosity decreased approval of EUT only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found evidence for both shared (education, liberalism) and different (religiosity, care experiences) determinants for the acceptance of WLPT and EUT.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsstrasse 6/I, Graz, 8010, Austria. erwin.stolz@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stolz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nursing Science, Medical University of Graz, Billrothgasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria. franziska.grossschaedl@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Großschädl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsstrasse 6/I, Graz, 8010, Austria. hannes.mayerl@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mayerl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsstrasse 6/I, Graz, 8010, Austria. eva.rasky@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Éva
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Rásky
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsstrasse 6/I, Graz, 8010, Austria. wolfgang.freidl@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Freidl
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D001317:Austria; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000941:ethics*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011639:Public Opinion; D012067:Religion; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000941:ethics*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics*