Associations between factors related to well-dying and preference for mode of death
| Active pain control | Withdrawal of futile LST | Passive euthanasia | Active euthanasia | Physician-assisted suicide | |||||||||||
| Positive | Negative | P values | Positive | Negative | P values | Positive | Negative | P values | Positive | Negative | P values | Positive | Negative | P values | |
| Presence of family | |||||||||||||||
| Negative | 2849 (90.5) | 298 (9.5) | N.S. | 2889 (91.8) | 257 (8.2) | 0.031 | 1996 (63.4) | 1151 (36.6) | N.S. | 1182 (37.6) | 1965 (62.4) | N.S. | 970 (30.8) | 2177 (69.2) | N.S. |
| Positive | 916 (89.0) | 114 (11.1) | 911 (88.5) | 119 (11.5) | 703 (68.3) | 327 (31.7) | 363 (35.2) | 667 (64.8) | 285 (27.7) | 744 (72.3) | |||||
| Not be a burden to family | |||||||||||||||
| Negative | 2927 (90.2) | 319 (9.8) | N.S. | 2964 (91.4) | 281 (8.7) | N.S. | 2084 (64.2) | 1161 (35.8) | N.S. | 1103 (34.0) | 2142 (66.0) | <0.001 | 888 (27.4) | 2357 (72.6) | <0.001 |
| Positive | 838 (90.0) | 93 (10.0) | 836 (89.8) | 95 (10.2) | 615 (66.0) | 316 (34.0) | 442 (47.5) | 489 (52.5) | 366 (39.4) | 565 (60.7) | |||||
| Resolve unfinished business | |||||||||||||||
| Negative | 3101 (90.2) | 337 (9.8) | N.S. | 3124 (90.9) | 314 (9.1) | N.S. | 2249 (65.4) | 1190 (34.6) | 0.004 | 1280 (37.2) | 2158 (62.8) | N.S. | 1038 (30.2) | 2401 (69.8) | N.S. |
| Positive | 663 (90.0) | 74 (10.0) | 676 (91.6) | 62 (8.4) | 450 (61.0) | 287 (39.0) | 264 (35.8) | 473 (64.2) | 217 (29.4) | 521 (70.6) | |||||
| Feel life was meaningful | |||||||||||||||
| Negative | 3233 (89.8) | 369 (10.2) | 0.035 | 3248 (90.2) | 354 (9.8) | <0.001 | 2305 (64.0) | 1297 (36.0) | N.S. | 1280 (38.3) | 2222 (61.7) | 0.004 | 1130 (31.4) | 2472 (68.6) | 0.003 |
| Positive | 532 (92.6) | 43 (7.4) | 552 (96.2) | 22 (3.8) | 394 (68.6) | 180 (31.4) | 165 (28.7) | 409 (71.3) | 124 (21.7) | 450 (78.3) | |||||
| Freedom from pain | |||||||||||||||
| Negative | 3373 (90.0) | 374 (10.0) | N.S. | 3406 (90.9) | 340 (9.1) | N.S. | 2456 (65.6) | 1290 (34.4) | <0.001 | 1383 (36.9) | 2363 (63.1) | N.S. | 1113 (29.7) | 2633 (70.3) | 0.032 |
| Positive | 392 (91.2) | 38 (8.8) | 394 (91.6) | 36 (8.4) | 243 (56.5) | 187 (43.5) | 162 (37.6) | 268 (62.4) | 141 (32.9) | 288 (67.1) | |||||
P values were estimated from models using stepwise selection.
LST, life-sustaining treatment; N.S., non-significant.