A religious framework as a lens for understanding the intersection of genetics, health, and disease.
The primary goal of this study was to determine the extent to which religious frameworks inform lay public understandings of genes and disease. Contrary to existing research, there were minimal differences between racial groups. We did, however, observe two patterns in that data that are worthy of discussion. First, because participants were from the south, the finding that participants from both racial groups ascribe to a religious belief system to make sense of their lived experiences is not surprising. Rather, it appears to be reflective of the religious culture that is an integral part of the south and our identity as a nation. A second noteworthy finding is that while a significant number of participants believe that a relationship exists between health status, genes, and religious behaviors, they also recognize that positive health behaviors must also be adopted as a means for staving off disease. In some cases, however, there was a belief that health issues could dissolve or disappear as a result of certain religious behaviors such as prayer.
Harris
Tina M
TM
Department of Speech Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. tmharris@uga.edu
Keeley
Bethany
B
Barrientos
Samantha
S
Gronnvoll
Marita
M
Landau
Jamie
J
Groscurth
Christopher R
CR
Shen
Lijiang
L
Cheng
Youyou
Y
Cisneros
J David
JD
D001741:Black or African American; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D044465:White People