Prediction of Students\' Attitudes toward Euthanasia Using Their Religious Orientation, Self-Esteem and Death Anxiety

Background and Objectives: Euthanasia is one of the major challenges in philosophical, medical, ethical, legal, and religious circles that has fueled many debates. The aim of this study was to investigate prediction of students' attitudes toward euthanasia using their religious orientation, self-esteem, and death anxiety. Methods: The samples of this descriptive-correlational study were 247 students selected from the humanities students in the University of Zanjan and the students of medical related studies in the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences by random multi-stage cluster sampling. Data collection was conducted by Euthanasia Attitude Scale, Religious Orientation Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Templer Death Anxiety Scale. Data analysis was conducted by MANOVA and stepwise multiple regression. Results: MANOVA results showed that the levels of self-esteem and religious orientation were significantly different between the students of humanities and medical related studies with significantly higher scores attained by the humanities students. Standard (simultaneous) multiple regression showed that the regression model was significant based on three variables, i.e. religious orientation, self-esteem, and death anxiety. Religious orientation predicted attitudes toward euthanasia inversely. Conclusion: The levels of self-esteem and religious orientation were lower in the students of medical related studies than in the humanities students, and the higher the levels of their religious orientation were, the more opposed to euthanasia they were.