Does Fatalism Affect Cancer Screenings?

Objective: This study aimed to identify the effect of fatalist beliefs on the attitude toward cancer screening. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study design had a research population comprising individuals residing in Türkiye and aged ≥18 years; the research sample comprised 1,516 individuals who satisfied the inclusion criteria of this study. We used the personal information form, the Fatalism Scale, and the Attitude Scale for Cancer Screening-Short Form for this study. Results: The results revealed statistically significant differences in the means of the participants’ Fatalism Scale scores for the following variables: education level, income level, place of residence, profession, and perceived state of health (p<0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed in the means of the scores obtained by the participants from the Attitude Scale for Cancer Screening-Short Form for the following variables: gender, education level, income level, and cigarette smoking status (p<0.05). These findings showed that fatalism had a statistically significant negative relationship with the cancer screening attitude (t=-2.171, p<0.05). Conclusion: It was ascertained that the participants had a positive attitude toward cancer screening and medium-level fatalism perception, and increased levels of fatalism perception negatively affected the attitude toward cancer screening. © 2024 by Turkish Society of Medical Oncology.