Fatalism and health behavior: a meta-analytic review

Fecha

2015-08

Autores

Cohn, Lawrence D.
Esparza del Villar, Óscar Armando

Título de la revista

ISSN de la revista

Título del volumen

Editor

Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez

Resumen

The association between fatalism and health behavior was assessed in a meta- analytic review of 46 studies comprising 51 independent samples and 25,167 participants. Effect sizes (Hedges gu) ranged from -0.54 to 1.49; positive values indicated that higher levels of fatalism were associated with higher levels of health threatening behavior and non-compliance with health promoting activities. A random effects analysis yielded a weighted average gu of 0.26 (95% CI: 0.14 to 0.38) indicating that participants who did not engage in health promoting behaviors held significantly more fatalistic beliefs than participants who engaged in health promoting behaviors. The strongest relationship between fatalism and health behavior was found in studies of preventive screening such as breast cancer screening and prostate cancer screening. Adults who did not engage in preventive screening held more fatalistic beliefs than did adults who engaged in screening (weighted average gu = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.55). Several moderating variables were also investigated including the type of fatalistic belief assessed in each study. The findings suggest that some fatalistic beliefs are associated with increased levels of non-compliance but the direction of causality remains undetermined. The findings also suggest that the fatalism-health behavior relationship may be smaller than previously suggested. Implications for future research and designing health interventions are discussed.

Descripción

The association between fatalism and health behavior was assessed in a meta- analytic review of 46 studies comprising 51 independent samples and 25,167 participants. Effect sizes (Hedges gu) ranged from -0.54 to 1.49; positive values indicated that higher levels of fatalism were associated with higher levels of health threatening behavior and non-compliance with health promoting activities. A random effects analysis yielded a weighted average gu of 0.26 (95% CI: 0.14 to 0.38) indicating that participants who did not engage in health promoting behaviors held significantly more fatalistic beliefs than participants who engaged in health promoting behaviors. The strongest relationship between fatalism and health behavior was found in studies of preventive screening such as breast cancer screening and prostate cancer screening. Adults who did not engage in preventive screening held more fatalistic beliefs than did adults who engaged in screening (weighted average gu = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.55). Several moderating variables were also investigated including the type of fatalistic belief assessed in each study. The findings suggest that some fatalistic beliefs are associated with increased levels of non-compliance but the direction of causality remains undetermined. The findings also suggest that the fatalism-health behavior relationship may be smaller than previously suggested. Implications for future research and designing health interventions are discussed.

Palabras clave

Citación