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Brief Research Article|Articles in Press, 109977

Abortion-client religious identity and self-judgment in a setting with antiabortion protestors in Mississippi

  • Amanda Nagle
    Correspondence
    Corresponding author.
    Affiliations
    Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States

    Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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  • Klaira Lerma
    Affiliations
    Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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  • Kari White
    Affiliations
    Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States

    Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States

    Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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      Abstract

      Objective

      To assess abortion patients’ self-judgment in a setting with antiabortion protestors.

      Methods

      We analyzed data from a survey of 196 Mississippi abortion clients who interacted with antiabortion protestors, using ANOVA to compare feelings of self-judgment (measured on a 0-to-4 Likert-based scale) by religious identity. We assessed support for a law limiting protestor activity using a Χ2 test.

      Results

      The mean self-judgment score was 1.1 among respondents with no religious identity (n = 43), 1.4 among religious, not evangelical respondents (n = 95), and 1.5 among evangelical respondents (n = 58, p = 0.23). Most respondents (79%) supported a lawlimiting protestor activity.

      Discussion

      Overall, self-judgment was low and support for a law limiting protestor access was high.

      Keywords

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