Vetnuus | May 2026 25 >>>26 Therefore, attitudes towards euthanasia in humans were included as a possible confounder in research question 3. Colleague support was measured using the mean of two questions: ‘To what degree do you enjoy working with your colleagues?’ and ‘To what degree are you taken care of by your colleagues?’. Responses were given on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 7 (to a very high degree), as in previous studies [29, 30]. Cronbach’s α for the two items on colleague support in our sample was 0.84. The mean scores of the two questions on colleague support were used in the regression analyses for research question 3. Demographics We received 2596 responses from 3464 participants (response rate: 75%). The most frequently reported age category was 41 – 45 years. Age varied between genders, with a higher proportion of younger women on the women’s side, and 65% of the men being over 50 years of age. In total, 70% of the participants were female, and 30% were male, which is an accurate reflection of the gender distribution of the total population of veterinarians in Norway (personal communication, Bente N. Reve, The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, 12 July 2021). The age distribution in our sample had only minor differences from the target population, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Health, which has an overview of all registered health personnel in Norway. Additionally, rough estimates of the distribution between different fields of work in the NORVET study sample coincide with the major speciality associations in the Norwegian Veterinary Association, indicating that our sample is fairly representative concerning the distribution of fields of work as well. More details about the representativeness of the sample can be found in the doctoral thesis by Dalum [31]. A total of 139 (5%) veterinarians reported serious suicidal thoughts, a finding described in a past study [16]. Statistical analyses Stata SE 17 was used for statistical analyses. The χ2 test was used to test for differences by gender. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) for the associations between exposure and dependent variables. Initially, all variables were analysed bivariate with the dependent variable (crude OR). Goodness-of-fit was tested by Pearson’s goodness-of-fit test, and found satisfactory in all of the logistic regression models. The level of significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05). Two-way interaction terms between gender and the independent variables were entered to investigate gender-specific effects, with the main effect included in the model. Interaction terms were entered individually. Overall, missing data across our dependent and independent variables was low (less than 4%). A missing-data analysis was performed for each of the independent variables in both regression models. With the exception of the high prevalence of missing data on the item on the frequency of Euthanising animals (see above), no other missing data trends were found. Results Table 1 provides a description of the sample. Of the veterinarians in this study, 63% strongly agreed or partially agreed with the statement, ‘Physician-assisted suicide should be permitted for persons suffering from a fatal disease with a short remaining life expectancy’. A total 55% strongly or partially agreed that ‘Euthanasia should be permitted for persons suffering from a fatal disease with a short remaining life expectancy’ and 51% strongly or partially agreed with the statement ‘There are cases in Variable Frequency (%) or mean value (SD) Gender (n = 2552) Female 1776 (70%) Male 776 (30%) Agea(n = 2547) 20–30 274 (11%) 31–40 697 (27%) 41–50 667 (26%) 51–60 432 (17%) 61–70 318 (13%) > 70 159 (6%) Marital status (n = 2514) Married/cohabiting 1962 (78%) Single/divorced/widowed 552 (22%) Main field of work (n = 2522) Companion animal practice 802 (32%) Public administration 402 (16%) Mixed clinical practice 268 (10%) Academia/research 202 (8%) Production animal practice 177 (7%) Aquaculture 121 (5%) Equine practice 102 (4%) Other 250 (10%) Pensioner 198 (8%) Working hours (range 0–99) (n = 2293) Mean 41.6 (SD = 12.07) Serious suicidal thoughts (n = 139/2562) 139 (5.4%) Colleague support (range 1–7) (n = 2403) Mean 5.29 (SD = 1.38) Frequency of performance of euthanasia (n = 2350) 0–4/week 2233 (95%) 5 or more/week 117 (5%) Table 1: Description of the independent variables in the present sample a Age was reported in five-year categories. In Table 1, age distribution is showed in 10-year categories, to improve readability Article
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