Attitudes towards abortion and decision-making capacity of pregnant adolescents: perspectives of medicine, midwifery and law students in Accra, Ghana

Figures & data

Figure 1. Participants’ attitudes towards abortion in pregnant adolescents.

Table 1. Attitudes towards abortion in pregnant adolescents, by academic discipline.

	Academic discipline
Assessed attitude	Medicine	Midwifery	Law	Total n (missing)	χ²	p-value
Abortion should be available in cases of rape
Yes, n (%)	85 (74.6)	97 (85.1)	78 (84.8)	260 (81.3)	5.20	0.074
No, n (%)	29 (25.4)	17 (14.9)	14 (15.2)	60 (18.8)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	92 (8)	320 (11)
Abortion should be available in cases of incest
Yes, n (%)	74 (64.9)	95 (84.1)	71 (77.2)	240 (75.2)	11.44	0.003
No, n (%)	40 (35.1)	18 (15.9)	21 (22.8)	79 (24.8)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	113 (1)	92 (8)	319 (12)
Abortion should be available in cases of life endangerment
Yes, n (%)	104 (92.0)	111 (97.4)	91 (98.9)	306 (97.1)	4.19	0.123
No, n (%)	6 (5.3)	3 (2.6)	1 (1.1)	9 (2.9)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	110 (7)	114 (0)	92 (8)	315 (16)
Abortion should be available in cases of health endangerment
Yes, n (%)	106 (93.8)	112 (98.2)	91 (98.9)	309 (96.9)	5.47	0.07
No, n (%)	7 (6.2)	2 (1.8)	1 (1.1)	10 (3.1)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	113 (4)	114 (0)	92 (8)	319 (12)
Abortion should be available in cases of foetal anomaly (malformation)
Yes, n (%)	92 (80.7)	106 (93.0)	85 (93.4)	283 (88.7)	11.38	0.003
No, n (%)	22 (19.3)	8 (7.0)	6 (6.6)	36 (11.3)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	91 (9)	319 (12)
Abortion should be available for the purpose of sex selection
Yes, n (%)	12 (10.5)	12 (10.5)	12 (13.0)	36 (11.3)	0.42	0.812
No, n (%)	102 (89.5)	102 (89.5)	80 (87.0)	284 (88.8)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	92 (8)	320 (11)
Abortion should be available for any other reason
Yes, n (%)	39 (34.8)	43 (39.1)	33 (37.1)	115 (37.0)	0.43	0.805
No, n (%)	73 (65.2)	67 (60.9)	56 (62.9)	196 (63.0)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	112 (5)	110 (4)	89 (11)	311 (20)
In the case of adolescents, parental notification should be mandatory
Yes, n (%)	96 (84.2)	88 (77.2)	82 (90.1)	266 (83.4)	6.18	0.045
No, n (%)	18 (15.8)	26 (22.8)	9 (9. 9)	53 (16.6)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	91 (9)	319 (12)
Parental consent should be mandatory for all minors
Yes, n (%)	108 (94.7)	103 (90.4)	86 (95.6)	297 (93.4)	2.72	0.256
No, n (%)	6 (5.3)	11 (9.6)	4 (4.4)	21 (6.6)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	90 (10)	318 (13)
Abortions are not acceptable, for any reason ever
Yes, n (%)	58 (51.8)	40 (35.7)	44 (48.4)	142 (45.1)	6.39	0.041
No, n (%)	54 (48.2)	72 (64.3)	47 (51.6)	173 (54.9)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	112 (5)	112 (2)	91 (9)	315 (16)
Seeking parents for adoption is always better than having an abortion
Yes, n (%)	106 (93.0)	101 (88.6)	86 (93.5)	293 (91.6)	2.03	0.362
No, n (%)	8 (7.0)	13 (11.4)	6 (6.5)	27 (8.4)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	92 (8)	320 (11)
Are you in favour of legislation that would render abortion provision legal on request for adolescents?
Yes, n (%)	20 (17.4)	48 (42.1)	30 (30.9)	98 (30.1)	16.68	<0.001
No, n (%)	95 (82.6)	66 (57.9)	67 (69.1)	228 (69.9)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	115 (2)	114 (0)	97 (3)	326 (5)
The government should pay for abortions services
Yes, n (%)	16 (14.0)	11 (9.6)	11 (11.3)	38 (11.7)	1.07	0.583
No, n (%)	98 (86.0)	103 (90.4)	86 (88.7)	287 (88.3)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	97 (3)	325 (6)

Table 2. Relationships between sex and academic discipline of respondents to their attitudes towards abortion.

Assessed attitude	Response strongly agree		p-value
	n	%
Abortion should be available in cases of rape
Academic discipline
Medicine	24	17.8	0.001
Midwifery	70	51.9
Law	41	30.4
Total	135	100.0
Sex
Male	22	16.3	0.001
Female	113	83.7
Total	135	100.0
Abortion should be made available in cases of incest
Academic discipline
Medicine	24	19.5	0.001
Midwifery	65	52.8
Law	34	27.6
Total	123	100.0
Sex
Male	16	13.0	0.001
Female	107	87.0
Total	123	100.0
Abortion should be made available in cases of life endangerment
Academic discipline
Medicine	64	27.6	0.001
Midwifery	100	43.1
Law	68	29.3
Total	232	100.0
Sex
Male	38	16.4	0.001
Female	194	83.6
Total	232	100.0
Abortion should be made available in case of a foetal anomaly
Academic discipline
Medicine	34	20.2	0.001
Midwifery	86	51.2
Law	48	28.6
Total	168	100.0
Sex
Male	22	13.1	0.002
Female	146	86.9
Total	168	100.0
Abortion should be available for sex selection purposes
Academic discipline
Medicine	2	20.0	0.140
Midwifery	5	50.0
Law	3	30.0
Total	10	100.0
Sex
Male	3	30.0	0.340
Female	7	70.0
Total	10	100.0
Abortion should be available for any other reason (on request)
Academic discipline
Medicine	0	0.0	0.001
Midwifery	18	81.8
Law	4	18.2
Total	22	100.0
Sex
Male	2	9.1	0.522
Female	20	90.9
Total	22	100.0
Parental notification should be mandatory for all minors
Academic discipline
Medicine	81	36.2	0.002
Midwifery	88	39.3
Law	55	24.6
Total	224	100.0
Sex
Male	44	19.6	0.127
Female	180	80.4
Total	224	100.0
Abortions are not acceptable, for any reason ever
Academic discipline
Medicine	12	36.4	0.001
Midwifery	16	48.5
Law	5	15.2
Total	33	100.0
Sex
Male	8	24.2	0.145
Female	25	75.8
Total	33	100.0
Seeking parents for adoption is always better than having an abortion
Academic discipline
Medicine	64	35.0	0.003
Midwifery	74	40.4
Law	45	24.6
Total	183	100.0
Sex
Male	33	18.0	0.060
Female	150	82.0
Total	183	100.0

Table 3. Perceived decision-making capacity of adolescents, by academic discipline.

	Academic discipline
Decision-making capacity	Medicine	Midwifery	Law	Total n (missing)	χ²	p-value
A pregnant adolescent has full capacity to decide on the outcome of her pregnancy
Yes, n (%)	27 (23.7)	60 (52.6)	28 (28.6)	115 (35.3)	23.67	<0.001
No, n (%)	87 (76.3)	54 (47.4)	70 (71.4)	211 (64.7)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	98 (2)	326 (5)
The health-care provider has the responsibility always to inform the parents if the adolescent wants an abortion
Yes, n (%)	66 (57.9)	52 (45.6)	58 (59.2)	176 (54.0)	4.98	0.083
No, n (%)	48 (42.1)	62 (54.4)	40 (40.8)	150 (46.0)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	98 (2)	326 (5)
A third party should always be involved in the decision-making process
Yes, n (%)	44 (38.9)	72 (63.2)	42 (43.3)	158 (48.8)	14.97	0.001
No, n (%)	69 (61.1)	42 (36.8)	55 (56.7)	166 (51.2)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	113 (4)	114 (0)	97 (3)	324 (7)
A pregnant adolescent has the final say in deciding the outcome of her pregnancy
Yes, n (%)	61 (54.0)	67 (58.8)	48 (49.5)	176 (54.3)	1.82	0.401
No, n (%)	52 (46.0)	47 (41.2)	49 (50.5)	148 (45.7)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	113 (4)	114 (0)	97 (3)	324 (7)
Adolescents should always seek support or advice from third parties, out of choice
Yes, n (%)	73 (64.0)	88 (77.2)	60 (61.2)	221 (67.8)	7.28	0.026
No, n (%)	41 (36.0)	26 (22.8)	38 (38.8)	105 (32.2)
Total, n (no. of missing responses)	114 (3)	114 (0)	98 (2)	326 (5)