The Development and Validation of an Attitude Scale for Abortion in Turkey

Abortion is a complex phenomenon studied not only from a health perspective, but also from a legal and social dimensions. Attitudes towards abortion have been varied significantly across different cultures and historical periods. In Turkey, where abortion is legal under specific conditions and timeframes, understanding these attitudes through the development of a standardized measurement tool can contribute meaningfully to the field.

This study aims to develop a reliable and valid attitude scale to measure perspectives towards abortion in a Turkish sample.

The study included 303 women aged 18-49 years residing in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul. The scale development process followed a rigorous methodology, including creating a draft scale, obtaining expert input, conducting a pilot application, refining the draft scale, collecting data from the sample group, and performing factor analyses.

A three-factor structure consisting of 23 items was identified (x2/df: 2.787, Goodness of Fit Index(GFI): 0.853, Incremental Fit Index(IFI):0.913, Comparative Fıt Index(CFI):0.912, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation(RMSEA): 0.077, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual(SRMR): 0.0751). The three factors labeled as stigma, exclusion and hear respect explained the underlying attitudes captured by the scale.

This study successfully developed valid and reliable measurement tool to assess attitudes towards abortion has been developed in a Turkish context. The scale provides an important resource for future research and contributes to the broader understanding of abortion-related attitudes.