PubMed · 7487669
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R Fried. 1995. Unfamiliar terms need explaining.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7487669/
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Two anonymous questionnaires assessing attitudes toward gay issues were administered to adults living in the Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana area. In both, demographic data were obtained regarding gender, education, religion, age and marital status. In the second questionnaire, family groups were given the questionnaire. In the first survey, the results generally supported previous findings that religiosity, gender, and education at or below the high school level appeared to be associated with negative attitudes toward gay and lesbian issues. The variable most frequently associated with positive attitudes toward gay and lesbian issues was whether or not the individual had at least one gay friend, relative, or acquaintance. In the second study, the questionnaire was analyzed in terms of the entire group of subjects, family groups, and family positions. This second questionnaire indicated that similarities are most likely to exist among mothers and daughters, and same sex siblings. In regard to family members, wives/mothers and daughters had more positive attitudes toward homosexuality than sons, fathers, grandparents, other relatives, and in-laws.
Undergraduate college students (N = 173) enrolled in business or psychology classes were studied to investigate (1) predictors of anti-gay and lesbian attitudes and (2) two educational approaches for counteracting negative attitudes toward homosexuality. Students' gender and other demographic characteristics, gender role orientation, gender role attitudes, and personal history variables were employed as independent variables in a multiple regression analysis to predict anti-homosexual attitudes. Results indicated that attitudes were significantly predicted by gender role attitudes, personal acquaintance with a gay man, lesbian, or bisexual person, and religious conviction. Gender, gender role orientation, age, prior participation in a workshop on homosexuality, sexual experience, and class type (psychology or business) were not significant predictors. One-way independent groups analysis of variance indicated no significant differences in level of anti-homosexual attitudes between heterosexual students who had interacted with gay and lesbian students in a one hour classroom panel discussion, viewed a video presentation on homosexuality, or had no classroom intervention.
CONTEXT: In November 1994, Oregon became the first US state to legalize physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as an option for end-of-life care. OBJECTIVE: This study compares the attitudes and experiences of medical students in Oregon regarding PAS to those of fourth-year medical students in the United States outside Oregon. DESIGN: A survey of all students at the Oregon Health Sciences University and fourth-year medical students at 3 non-Oregonian US medical schools. PARTICIPANTS: Oregon medical students returned 227 questionnaires (58%), and 113 were returned from control schools (33%). RESULTS: A similar percentage of both study groups favored the legalization of PAS (64% vs 66%; P = .74). If the practice were legal, 55% of the total surveyed reported they "might be willing to write a lethal prescription," (50% Oregon students vs 60% control; P = .13 and 44% fourth-year Oregon students vs 60% control; P = .04). Among fourth-year students, 20% reported a request by a patient to the student or a preceptor for a lethal prescription in the past year (26% vs 16%; P = .09). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates support for and willingness by many medical students to participate in PAS. Some medical students reported observation of PAS during their training experience. Fourth-year Oregon students reported significantly less willingness than other students to provide a patient with a lethal prescription, perhaps indicating hesitancy to include PAS in clinical practice.