Kathryn J. LaRoche

Purdue University West Lafayette | Purdue · Department of Public Health

The news is an efficient way to share information and plays an important role in shaping and reflecting cultural values and norms. However, research examining news consumption and abortion attitudes is limited. In this exploratory study, we analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 886 US adults to assess whether self-reported freque...

Pro‐life” and “pro‐choice” are closely associated with discussions about abortion; we refer to the extent that people identify with these terms as “abortion identity.” Most polling measures present pro‐life and pro‐choice as mutually exclusive options, but there is a dearth of information about people who might simultaneously endorse both (or neith...

The relationship between people’s attitudes toward abortion acceptability and the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, two distinct but related issues, has not been rigorously explored. Using a mixed methods approach, we analyzed in-depth interviews to better understand how participants’ feelings toward abortion acceptability are related to percepti...

We explored demographic differences in attitudes toward abortion in the case of mental health endangerment. A web-based survey was administered in English and Spanish to a sample of 1,583 participants. Using ordinal logistic regression with partial proportional odds, we regressed political affiliation, race/ethnicity, education, and religious atten...

In the United States, legislation intended to limit abortion access based on fetal development markers (e.g., heartbeat, fetal pain) has become increasingly common. We found that people’s support for legal abortion decreases when survey items mention fetal developmental markers compared with items that do not. However, the majority of participants...

Objective We examine how a sample of English- and Spanish-speaking U.S. adults define the terms pro-life/pro-vida and pro-choice/pro-elección and explore whether definitions differ by language and/or ethnicity. Methods We asked a sample of 1504 English- and Spanish-speaking U.S. adults to define the terms pro-choice/pro-elección and pro-life/pro-v...

Objective The aim of this study is to examine how situational abortion attitudes differ when including additional context related to the gestational age of the pregnancy. Method Ordinary Least Squares Regression models predicting abortion attitudes across four different sets of abortion attitude questions, using data collected from an online panel...

Objectives Following the 2017 introduction of mifepristone in Canada and both ensuing regulatory changes and increased demand for medication abortion care, Planned Parenthood Ottawa created the Medical Abortion Access Project (MAAP). This study aimed to document outcomes, identify facilitators and barriers, and distill learnings from an initiative...

Previous research indicates that abortion attitudes may vary across different contexts, such as the reason for abortion and gestational age of the pregnancy. To expand on these findings, we examined abortion attitudes as they pertain to fetal development-based bans. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, we assessed correlates of supp...

Objective: To explore violence and disruption events reported by Canadian facilities providing abortion care in 2017, when only three provinces had passed safe access zone legislation. Methods: We reviewed self-reported data from 16 of 38 Canadian members of the National Abortion Federation. Results: Twelve facilities in seven provinces report...

Objectives: We explored public opinion about using telemedicine to provide medication abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We also investigated the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and support for using telemedicine in this context and explored factors that influenced respondents' attitudes on the topic. Study desi...

In 2017, mifepristone and misoprostol became available for early pregnancy termination as the combination pack Mifegymiso® in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. We conducted 40 semi-structured telephone interviews with Ottawa residents who had abortions before mifepristone’s introduction (n = 20) and after mifepristone–misoprostol became available (n = 20) t...

Objectives Although a body of research has focused on violence, disruption, and harassment targeting abortion clinics and clinic staff, little research has explored Canadian abortion patients’ experiences with protesters. Through this national qualitative study we aimed to address this gap. Methods Between 2012 and 2016, we conducted in-depth inte...

Objectives The gold standard of medication abortion, mifepristone and misoprostol, became available in Canada in 2017 as a combination pack under the trade name Mifegymiso®. We aimed to document people’s experiences deciding to use and accessing medication abortion and generate insights for how information and services could be improved. Methods W...

Objectives: Across Australia, multiple strategies have emerged to decentralize abortion care and increase access to mifepristone, including incorporating medication abortion into primary care and offering mifepristone via telemedicine. We aimed to explore the experiences of patients accessing medication abortion care across these different health...

Introduction: Nine different sets of laws govern abortion in Australia, and the criteria for an abortion to be considered lawful varies considerably by jurisdiction. We explored how the criminal status of abortion affected patients’ experiences in accessing care in a country where abortion services are widely available. Methods: We conducted quali...

Canadian mothers’ abortion experiences: Results from a large-scale qualitative study

Background: Although the contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR) has been available in Canada since 2001, overall use and availability remain low compared with other combined hormonal contraceptive methods. We aimed to explore women's experiences with the CVR in Ontario as well as factors that influenced their decisions to choose the method and continue/...

Background: Roughly one-third of all abortions in Canada are subsequent abortions. However, few published reports showcase women's voices or explore women's experiences on this topic. Our study aimed to understand better the ways that women who have had multiple abortions talk about and view those experiences. Methods: Between 2012 and 2016, we...

Background: Abortion has been available without criminal restriction in Canada since 1988, and approximately 33 000 terminations take place in Ontario each year. Objectives: This study aimed to explore women’s expressed desire for post-abortion support services, document the priorities expressed by women in seeking post-abortion support, and identi...

Introduction: Although Canada decriminalized abortion in 1988, significant disparities in access to services and an uneven geographic distribution of providers persists. Health Canada registered mifepristone, the gold standard of medication abortion, in July 2015. Our study explored Canadian women's knowledge of, interest in, and perspectives on m...

Background: Previous research indicates that women in Ontario have an established need for post-abortion support, yet often have difficulty finding and accessing affordable and timely services. Objectives: We aimed to determine what free post-abortion support services are available to women in Ontario, the kinds of organizations offering these ser...

Since 1979, US federal appropriations bills have prohibited the use of federal funds from covering abortion care for Peace Corps volunteers. There are no exceptions; unlike other groups that receive health care through US federal funding streams, including Medicaid recipients, federal employees, and women in federal prisons, abortion care is not co...

We examined self-reported use of spanking as a discipline strategy in a Canadian sample of mothers and fathers (N = 2,340) of children aged 2 to 12 years using data from the international parenting survey–Canada. logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between reported use of spank-ing and child characteristics (age, gender, dis...

This article presents results of a survey investigating parents' needs for parenting services, their access to and preferences for parenting programs. Canadian parents (N ϭ 2,340) completed the International Parenting Survey (Morawska, Heinrichs, & Sanders, 2011) with respect to the youngest of their children who was in the 2–12 year age range. In...

Awareness of the need to monitor fidelity in delivery of evidence-based programs is increasing. We examined adherence reported by service providers who had delivered multi-session group or individual family-based Triple P-Positive Parenting Program interventions. Service providers completed session-specific checklists from the Triple P manual to in...