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Intrinsic Religiousness as a Mediator Between Fatalism and Cancer-Specific Fear: Clarifying the Role of Fear in Prostate Cancer Screening

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Abstract

Understanding factors that influence screening receptivity may enhance African-American men’s receptivity to prostate cancer screening. Men of African descent (N = 481) between the ages of 40 and 70 were recruited. The hypotheses that Fatalism would be related to Intrinsic Religiousness and Fear, Intrinsic Religiousness would act as a mediator between Fatalism and Fear, and Fatalism as well as Prostate Cancer-Specific Fear would be negatively related to past Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing and Screening Intent were supported. This meditational finding suggests that when religious beliefs are a motivating force, the fear-inducing effects of fatalism are reduced.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Cancer Research Fund under Interagency Agreement #97-12013 (University of California, Davis contract #98—00924 V) with the Department of Health Services, Cancer Research Program. We appreciate the contributions of the churches, Alex Plummer, Jr., Rev. Bernadette Hickman-Maynard, Gabrielle Taylor, and Larry Seidlitz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Christman Group, LLC, Chicago, IL, USA

    Lisa K. Christman

  2. Graduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, 180 North Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA, 91101, USA

    Alexis D. Abernethy & Richard L. Gorsuch

  3. Patton State Hospital, San Bernardino, CA, USA

    Allan Brown

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  1. Lisa K. Christman
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  2. Alexis D. Abernethy
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  3. Richard L. Gorsuch
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  4. Allan Brown
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Correspondence to Alexis D. Abernethy.

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Christman, L.K., Abernethy, A.D., Gorsuch, R.L. et al. Intrinsic Religiousness as a Mediator Between Fatalism and Cancer-Specific Fear: Clarifying the Role of Fear in Prostate Cancer Screening. J Relig Health 53, 760–772 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9670-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9670-1

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