Appendix 3: QUESTIONNAIRE

My name is Nyuydze Glen Sunjo, a level 400 student in the school of Medical and Biomedical
Science, National Polytechnic University Institute (NPUI) Bamenda. I am carrying out a research
on “Knowledge and attitude of health practitioners towards abortion at St. Mary Soledad
Catholic District Hospital Bamenda”. I kindly request that you complete the following
questions related to the above topic. The information collected will be used solely for academic
purposes. Thanks for your comprehension.

District: _____________________ Date: ___/___/___

Health area: __________________ Form number: ____

Health facility: ________________

I. Socio-demographic characteristics
1. Sex of respondent: M /__/ F/__/
2. Age (years): <18/__/ 18-24/__/ 25-30/__/ 31-39/__/ >40/__/
3. Marital status: Married/__/ Single/__/
4. Religion: Catholic/__/ Presbyterian/__/ Baptist/__/ Muslim/__/ Others/__/
5. Level of Education of Respondent: HND/__/Degree /__/ Masters/__/ Doctor/__/
6. Specialty of respondent: Nurse/__/ Midwife/__/ Physician/__/ Pharmacist/__/ Lab
Tech/__/ Others/__/
7. Residence: _____________________________
II. KNOWLEDGE ON ABORTION
Question Guide: Tick either TRUE or FALSE

QUESTIONS True False

1. Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy before the age of viability

 2. Abortion can be classified in to TWO MAJOR groups, Spontaneous and Induced

3. Spontaneous consist of the following subs: Criminal or unsafe, habitual, etc.

4. Induced consist of the following subs: Missed, Threatened, Septic etc.

5. Severe complications of abortion may include Disseminated Intravascular

Coagulation (DIC) and supra infection

6. Abortion between 8-12 weeks can be carried out using Ergotic Alkaloids (e.g.
Oxytocin)

7. Abortion above 12 weeks of gestation can be carried out by D&C ( Dilatation

and Curettage)

Question guide: Tick the Correct Answer(s) in the [ ] provided

1. Age of viability is considered as from
< 18 weeks [ ] 18 completed weeks [ ] 21 completed weeks [ ] 27 completed weeks [ ]
2. Cause(s) of abortion include
Chromosomal anomalies [ ] Blighted ovum [ ] Idiopathic [ ] none of the above [ ]
3. Clinical picture of abortion may include the following
a. (Symptoms)
PV bleeding [ ] Dyspnea [ ] LAB pain [ ] Polyuria [ ] none of the above [ ]
b. (Signs)
Oedema [ ] Increased BP [ ] Decreased pulse [ ] pyrexia [ ] none of the above [ ]
4. The following investigations are necessary to request in cases of Abortion
Blood picture [ ] Ultrasound [ ] Pregnancy Test [ ] BUN [ ]
5. Management of abortion should involve the following
Complete bed rest [ ] Antibiotic therapy [ ] Early ambulation [ ] Contraception [ ]
6. The principal microorganism(s) that can cause an abortion is/are
E.coli [ ] Anaerobic Streptococci [ ] Clostridia [ ] Staphylococci [ ]

Knowledge on abortion law

Answer Guide: Respond with a tick (√) on your right in the column provided

Question: In Cameroon, abortion is TICK

A. Legal in all cases

B. Under certain circumstances it is not penalized

C. It is always penalized

D. I don’t know

III. ATTITUDE TOWARDS ABORTION

Question 1: Do you believe that abortion is a bad practice? TICK

A. Yes, Always

B. Yes, But only in some cases

C. No, Never

D. I don’t know

E. Annulled

F. No answer

Question 2: Do you ‘like’ other practitioners who frequently carry out abortion? TICK
 A. Yes, Always

B. Yes, But only in some cases

C. No, Never

D. I don’t know

E. Annulled

F. No answer

Question 3: If a client seeks abortion, will you participate to such a practice? TICK

A. Yes, Always

B. Yes, But only in some cases

C. No, Never

D. I don’t know

E. Annulled

F. No answer

Question 4: Can you care for a client presenting with abortion/or a history of an TICK
abortion without prejudice and discrimination in care

A. Yes, Always

B. Yes, But only in some cases

C. No, Never

D. I don’t know

E. Annulled

F. No answer
IV. Factors affecting decision making

Question 1: which factor most alters your decision to either indulge or THICK
abstain from such a practice

A. Psychological factors

B. Social factors

C. Personal factors

D. Cultural factors

E. Religious factors

F. Cognitive ( information)

V. Opinion on liberalization and reforms

Question 1: Do you believe abortion should be legal in this country THICK

A. Yes, Always

B. Yes, But only in some cases

C. No, Never

D. I don’t know

E. Annulled

F. No answer

Question 2: Do you think that if reforms are made to the laws governing THICK
abortion in Cameroon making it more flexible, maternal mortality as well as
unsafe abortion will decrease?

A. Yes

B. No

C. I don’t know
 D. No answer

a) If Yes,
Why………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

b) If No
why………………………………………………………………………………………