Exploring Distinct Profiles in Paediatric Bioethics – An Analysis of Proactive and Reactive Approaches by Adults

Background/Objectives: The field of paediatric bioethics addresses ethical issues in paediatric care, where parental authority often guides medical decisions, but children's preferences should also be considered. Promoting ethical awareness among minors can help them understand complex issues. This study aimed to analyse how sociodemographic, educational, and experiential factors shape adult perspectives on paediatric bioethical issues, particularly concerning pain and death. Methods: A questionnaire was developed to collect adult views of bioethical issues. Participants completed an online questionnaire, and data were analysed using SPSS version 22.0 for Windows. Clustering analysis identified two distinct groups. Results: The research focused on Italian adults (N=889) aged 18 and over. Cluster 1, predominantly female (78.3%) and more highly educated (38.6% with postgraduate degrees), exhibited greater experience with paediatric bioethical issues (81.1%). This group favoured a collaborative approach, supporting shared training among adults (92.3%) and advocating for gradually addressing bioethical issues during childhood (84.3%). Cluster 2, with a higher proportion of males (31.5%) and parents (75.1%), showed lower educational levels (3.0% with middle school education) and less experience with bioethical concerns (93.5%). This group preferred a reactive, situation-specific approach to these issues. Conclusions: The study showed two distinct adult profiles regarding how they approach paediatric bioethics. The first group adopts a preventive and collaborative strategy, while the second group is more reactive and situation-driven. These findings can guide the development of tailored educational programs to improve discussions about sensitive topics such as pain, incurability, and death in paediatric care.