Fatalistic Beliefs about Cancer Prevention and Three Prevention Behaviors

Abstract

Background: A substantial proportion of US adults hold fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention. Although evidence suggests that fatalistic beliefs discourage people from engaging in screening behaviors that can reduce their cancer risk, far less is known about associations between cancer fatalism and other prevention behaviors. We examined sociodemographic correlates of these beliefs and their associations with regular exercise, smoking, and fruit and vegetable consumption with a national sample of American adults.

Perceived Susceptibility to Chronic Kidney Disease among High-risk Patients Seen in Primary Care Practices

“…While those who perceived themselves "not at all likely" to develop CKD may have been less likely to adhere to prescribed therapies due to a lack of perceived need, persons who perceived themselves as "very likely" to develop CKD may have had fatalistic attitudes about the benefit of adherence on adverse outcomes. Studies in other areas have demonstrated fatalistic attitudes regarding the inevitability of disease may contribute to poor adherence rates [31][32][33][34] and that persons who perceive their ability to control their health are better able to adhere to medical regimens for chronic illnesses. [35][36][37] Greater perceptions of risk might also be associated with other attitudes we did not measure (e.g.…”

The Relationship Between Health Locus of Control, Depression, and Sociodemographic Factors and Amount of Time Breast Cancer Patients Wait Before Seeking Diagnosis and Treatment

“…Other studies also point to the problematic relationship between education and health behaviour. For example, fatalistic beliefs and doubt regarding the benefits of early diagnosis are more common among those with a lower SES, which can be, but is not necessarily, related to level of education (Niederdeppe & Levy 2007, Wardle et al 2004). The question is whether or not a general level of education could be a significant predictor, especially in the population of FB&H, where 77.4% of women have a low level of education (Institute for Statistics FB&H 2014) or whether the answer lies elsewhere.…”

Is There a Cancer Knowledge Paradox? Risk Perception and Knowledge of Breast and Colon Cancer in a Diverse Population

“…However, an overestimation of cancer risk can also lead to anxiety and unnecessary use of healthcare resources [35][36][37]. When perceived risk is greatly overestimated, particularly for breast cancer, women may be less likely to pursue screening indicating the adoption of a fatalistic view [38].…”

“…Fatalism, or the idea that a cancer diagnosis is inevitable, has been negatively associated with weekly exercise, smoking cessation and proper diet, raising the possibility that an adoption of this belief may indicate higher cancer risks due to poor health behaviors [38]. Additional studies into fatalism have found that African American women who hold more fatalistic attitudes less likely to follow breast cancer screening guidelines.…”