Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Behaviour Change Conference 2025, Lisbon, Portekiz, 2 - 03 Nisan 2025, (Yayınlanmadı)
Rationale and aims: Whether natural or supernatural, attributions of illness affect health-seeking behaviors. This study examines students' beliefs about the causes of disease and affect on their health behaviour. Methods: The research population was 564 students from the Faculty of Education in Rize, Turkey. Of the population, 71.8% was reached without sampling (405 students). Data collected in classrooms using a self-reported questionnaire in Feb-March 2024. The questionnaire included the modified "Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire (CHAQ)", along with questions on age, health, beliefs, scientific attitude, and traditional treatment experience. The Turkish CHAQ scale is untested. Cronbach's alpha was determined to be 0.78 for natural and 0.85 for supernatural attribution in the present study. The CHAQ is a 5-point scale on causes of six diseases. It has two subscales: natural and supernatural. High scores indicate high levels of belief. Scores of subscales were categorized as low (<2.5), medium (2.5-3.5), high (>3.5). Data analysis was conducted using PASW18 software. Non-parametric hypothesis tests and logistic regression were utilized. The study approved by the ethics committee and rectorate. Findings: The average student age was 20.8, most respondents were women (76.3%), 53.1% in first and 46.9% in fourth grade. Belief in God (90.4%) and justice (77.5%) were common. Mean supernatural and natural citations are 2.2±0.05 and 4.7±0.02. Most of the students (97.0%) attributed illness to natural causes. Of them, 15% exhibited high-level supernatural attributions. Students attributing illness supernaturally likely followed scientific developments (OR=3.5), believed in divine justice strongly (OR=3.1), studying in mathematics, science or regular classroom teaching (OR=2.5) and had a specific educational background (pulpit orator school graduate) (OR=2.3). Presence of a retired or civil servant father found to be a protective factor against supernatural attributions (OR=0.5). Students who did not drink, believed in divine justice, showed low health-seeking behavior, and practiced traditional activities (cupping therapy, hijama, prayer,zikr) had higher supernatural attribution averages. Conclusions: Natural disease attributions were dominant among students. Supernatural beliefs were also common affecting health behaviors in various ways. It is evident that there was a coexistence of supernatural attributions and scientific practices. An epidemiological approach to education on causal attributions is recommended.