CULTURE AND GENDER DIVERSITY IN COMMONSENSE BELIEFS ABOUT THE CAUSES OF 6 ILLNESSES

One hundred seventy-eight subjects attributed a variety of causes to s ix illnesses/diseases AIDS, the common cold, diabetes, hypertension, l ung cancer, and headaches. Factor analysis of these causal attribution s yielded four factors which were more complex than those in the exist ing literature. Each of the sir illnesses was seen as caused by differ ent factors. Ethnic and gender differences in causal attributions also were assessed. Although there were no differences between minorities and whites in the perceived causes of the six illnesses, a number of g ender differences did emerge Women were more likely than men to view i llness as caused by Sin and Sex and as a form of punishment. Results a re discussed in terms of their implications for ethnic and gender diff erences in health behavior, health service utilization, and somatic sy mptoms, and suggestions for future research are offered.