Life-views and ethical viewpoints among physiotherapy students in Sweden and Turkey - A comparative study

Abstract

There is a need for a deeper understanding of and discussion about different cultures' influences on life-views and ethical reasoning among professionals within healthcare. A culture can be seen as a set of guidelines, both explicit and implicit, which individuals inherit as members of a particular society, and which tells them how to view the world and how to behave in it in relation to other people. Do the cultural differences between Sweden, a culture predominantly influenced by Christian religion, and Turkey, a culture predominantly influenced by Muslim religion, influence physiotherapy students' life-views and ethical reasoning? The aim of this study was to compare life-views and questions of ethics between Swedish and Turkish physiotherapy students at the beginning of their studies. A reliable and valid questionnaire about life-views, together with questions covering ethical aspects was used. Three hundred and thirty-two physiotherapy students (186 Swedish, 146 Turkish) answered the same life-view questionnaire. Non-parametric statistics were used. Significant differences between the Swedish and Turkish students' opinions were analyzed with non-parametric statistics (Mann-Whitney U-test, two independent samples). Students' priorities in ethical questions were also compared between the groups. The Turkish students had significantly higher mean values in questions that belonged to a scientific life-view; the Swedish students had significantly higher mean values in questions belonging to an evolutionary life-view. There were significant differences between the groups in 14/20 individual life-view questions. The Swedish students were more patient-centered in their attitudes, had more positive attitudes to unconventional lifestyles and accepted to a higher extent than Turkish students suicide and euthanasia in special situations. Concerning priorities in ethical questions, there were significant differences between the groups concerning justice in healthcare and happiness for all, with higher priorities for happiness and justice in healthcare from the Turkish students. © 2005 Taylor & Francis.