Fatalism and cancer screening in Appalachian Kentucky.

Fatalism may play a role in Appalachians' views about cancer screening and contribute to high rates of cancer incidence and mortality, but few studies have explored this issue. A probability telephone survey was conducted of 696 adults living in 51 Appalachian Kentucky counties inquiring about intentions to obtain cancer screening. The Life Orientation Test-Revised as a surrogate measure for fatalism and logistic regression was used to predict screening activity. Insurance coverage was the best overall predictor variable. Fatalism was significant in one model possibly reflecting an appreciation of the costs and barriers associated with obtaining screening in rural counties.