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Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine 1/2012

01-08-2012 | Original Article

Belief in Divine Control, Coping, and Race/Ethnicity among Older Women with Breast Cancer

Authors: Yoshiko Umezawa, Ph.D., Qian Lu, Ph.D. M.D., Jin You, Ph.D., Marjorie Kagawa-Singer, Ph.D., M.A M.N., R.N. F.A.A.N, Barbara Leake, Ph.D., Rose C. Maly, M.D, M.S.P.H.

Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Background

Belief in divine control is often assumed to be fatalistic. However, the assumption has rarely been investigated in racial/ethnic minorities.

Objectives

This study aims to examine the association between belief in divine control and coping and how the association was moderated by ethnicity/acculturation in a multi-ethnic sample of breast cancer patients.

Methods

Latina, African American, and non-Hispanic White older women with newly diagnosed breast cancer (N = 257) from a population-based survey completed the scale of Belief in Divine Control and the Brief COPE.

Results

Belief in divine control was positively related to approach coping (i.e., positive reframing, active coping, and planning) in all ethnic groups. Belief in divine control was positively related to acceptance and negatively related to avoidance coping (i.e., denial and behavioral disengagement) among low-acculturated Latinas.

Conclusions

Negative presumptions about fatalistic implications of belief in divine control should be critically reappraised, especially when such skepticism is applied to racial/ethnic minority patients.
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Metadata
Title
Belief in Divine Control, Coping, and Race/Ethnicity among Older Women with Breast Cancer
Authors
Yoshiko Umezawa, Ph.D.
Qian Lu, Ph.D. M.D.
Jin You, Ph.D.
Marjorie Kagawa-Singer, Ph.D., M.A M.N., R.N. F.A.A.N
Barbara Leake, Ph.D.
Rose C. Maly, M.D, M.S.P.H.
Publication date
01-08-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Annals of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 1/2012
Print ISSN: 0883-6612
Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9358-5

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