Fatalism, Diabetes Management Outcomes, and the Role of Religiosity

By: Berardi V., Bellettiere J., Nativ O., Ladislav S., Hovell M.F., Baron-Epel O.
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health
SDGs : SDG 03  |  Units: Social Welfare & Health Sciences  | Time: 2016 |  Link
Description: This study aimed to determine whether fatalistic beliefs were associated with elevated levels of glycated hemoglobin (Hb A1c) and to establish the role of religiosity in this relationship. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 183 Jewish adults with diabetes visiting a large medical center in northern Israel. Self-administered questionnaires assessed level of religiosity, fatalistic beliefs, diabetes management behaviors, and demographic/personal characteristics; laboratory tests were used to measure HbA1c. Multivariate regression indicated that fatalism was significantly associated with HbA1c (β = 0.51, p = 0.01). The association was no longer statistically significant after including self-reported religiosity in the model (β = 0.31, p = 0.13). This phenomenon is likely due to a confounding relationship between the religious/spiritual coping component of the fatalism index and self-reported religiosity (r = 0.69). The results indicate that addressing fatalistic attitudes may be a viable strategy for improving diabetes management, but call for a better understanding of the interplay between religiosity and fatalism in this context. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.