Attitudes toward abortion: A systematic review of different measuring tools for exploring influencing factors of abortion attitude

Individuals’ attitudes toward abortion are shaped by a complex interplay of personal beliefs, cultural values, and societal norms. Various general and specific questionnaires have been designed to understand these attitudes. The present study was undertaken to review the instruments that measure global attitudes toward abortion and its influencing factors. A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar in March 2025. The selection criterion included quantitative research studies written in English that measured global attitudes toward abortion. The quality of all articles that met the inclusion criterion was evaluated. We also reviewed the references of related studies to find additional resources. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. The results of the review showed that the existing instruments assessed diverse dimensions in examining abortion, and complex and multifaceted factors influence these attitudes. Eight key themes were found as influencing the global women’s attitudes toward induced abortions, fertility, and childbirth: (1) human rights, (2) gender, (3) religion, (4) unpreparedness, (5) quality of life, (6) ambivalence, (7) achieve economic stability, and (8) Partner to share responsibility. The existing instruments vary in their dimensions, focusing on diverse aspects such as individual psychological impacts, sociocultural influences, and personal beliefs and experiences regarding abortion. However, the evaluation of attitudes toward abortion requires valid instruments for measurement across different populations and cultural contexts.