142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Examining the complexity of abortion attitudes in the United States: The development and psychometric assessment of the Abortion Complexity Scale

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 4:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Kristen Jozkowski, PhD , Community Health Promotion, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Brandon Crawford, MA , Sociology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: Abortion remains a salient, but contentious, public health issue in the US. Access to safe, legal abortions has been restricted since abortion became legal, suggesting that general opinions may favor more restrictive policies. Previous research has examined abortion attitudes utilizing dichotomous, Pro-choice versus Pro-life, outcomes. Little research has examined the extent to which abortion opinions are more complex (i.e., people’s opinions deviate from strictly pro-choice/pro-life stances, with more nuanced attitudes towards access to abortion). Currently there are no measures available which assess complexity in abortion attitudes.  Therefore, the current study aimed to develop a validated measure of abortion complexity. 

Methods: This study integrated mixed methods via two waves of data collection. First, qualitative data were collected from young adults (n=205) to drive the design of quantitative items. Next, a quantitative survey was administered to young adults (n=660) which included the abortion complexity items developed from the qualitative data. The measure was then assessed for its psychometric properties.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis was utilized to assess the abortion complexity measure yielding a three factor solution.  The scale demonstrated high internal consistency reliability and known-group validation consistent with previous research regarding abortion attitudes and demographic characteristics.

Conclusion: Although policymakers and media portray abortion as black and white, current findings suggests that attitudes regarding access to safe abortion are more nuanced. The Abortion Complexity Scale could provide a more accurate view of abortion opinions which perhaps should be used to inform future policies regarding legal access to safe abortions.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the relevance of using the Complexity in Abortion Scale in understanding people’s attitudes towards access to abortion. Articulate how understanding the complexity in abortion attitudes could help inform public health approaches to improving policies surround access to safe, legal abortion.

Keyword(s): Abortion, Public Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a PhD in Health Behavior and doctoral minors in Mixed Research Methods and Human Sexuality. I am currently an assistant professor of Community Health at the University of Arkansas.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4452.0: Novel methods in sexual and reproductive health research