ETHNICITY, CHURCH AFFILIATION AND BELIEFS ABOUT THE CAUSAL AGENTS OF HEALTH - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY EMPLOYING A MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE

This study investigated beliefs about causal agents for health and sic kness among the economically and educationally disadvantaged who suffe r from chronic health problems in the rural South of the USA (n = 197) . We hypothesized that the relationship between a revised Multidimensi onal Health Locus of Control scale for fate would be positively correl ated with a new scale for God control, and that the loci for self, oth ers, fate and God would be intercorrelated. Results confirmed our hypo theses: all Spearman correlations were positive and statistically sign ificant. We also hypothesized that there would be cultural variation w ith respect to mean group differences on three of the traditional loci (self, others and fate). We compared subgroups defined by crossing et hnicity (black or white) with church affiliation (fundamentalist or mo derate) and ethnicity crossed with belief (high or low) in God's contr ol over health. A multivariate analysis of covariance of the three loc i was conducted. Two-way interactions (ethnicity x church affiliation and ethnicity x belief in God's control), adjusted for the effect of f ormal schooling, were significant. Some of the standardized effect siz es for the adjusted mean group differences were very large. Speculativ e reasons for cultural variation with repect to mean group differences are discussed in terms of the social climate of the church and the tr ansmission of beliefs via formal schooling. Suggestions for future res earch and program design are offered.