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01-12-2009 | Original Paper

Preferences for Life-Prolonging Medical Treatments and Deference to the Will of God

Authors: Laraine Winter, Marie P. Dennis, Barbara Parker

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 4/2009

Abstract

We defined and measured a dimension of religiosity frequently invoked in end-of-life (EOL) research—deference to God’s Will (GW)—and examined its relationship to preferences for life-prolonging treatments. In a 35-min telephone interview, 304 older men and women (60 +) were administered the 5-item GW scale, sociodemographic questions, three attitude items regarding length of life, and measures of two health indices, depression, and life-prolonging treatment preferences. The GW scale demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .94) and predictive and discriminant validity. Higher scores indicative of greater deference to GW were associated with stronger life-prolonging treatment preferences in poor-prognosis scenarios. Implications for the role of religiosity in medical decision-making are discussed.

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Title: Preferences for Life-Prolonging Medical Treatments and Deference to the Will of God
Authors: Laraine Winter
Marie P. Dennis
Barbara Parker
Publication date: 01-12-2009
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 4/2009
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-008-9205-y

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