Religious fatalism and its association with health behaviors and outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between religious fatalism and health care utilization, health behaviors, and chronic illness.


METHODS
As part of Nashville's REACH 2010 project, residents (n=1273) participated in a random telephone survey that included health variables and the helpless inevitability subscale of the Religious Health Fatalism Questionnaire.


RESULTS
Religious health fatalism was higher among African Americans and older participants. Some hypotheses about the association between fatalism and health outcomes were confirmed.


CONCLUSIONS
Religious fatalism is only partially predictive of health behaviors and outcomes and may be a response to chronic illness rather than a contributor to unhealthy behaviors.
Franklin
Monica D
MD
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37217, USA. Monica.d.franklin@vanderbilt.edu
Schlundt
David G
DG
McClellan
Linda H
LH
Kinebrew
Tunu
T
Sheats
Jylana
J
Belue
Rhonda
R
Brown
Anne
A
Smikes
Dorlisa
D
Patel
Kushal
K
Hargreaves
Margaret
M
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D013483:Superstitions; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
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