The article titled “Relationship between health literacy, health fatalism and attitudes towards cancer screenings: latent profile analysis” by Uncu et al. (2025), published in BMC Public Health, presents a compelling examination of how health literacy and health fatalism interact to shape individuals’ attitudes towards cancer screenings. Utilizing a latent profile analysis (LPA) approach, the study categorizes participants into distinct subgroups based on their levels of health literacy, fatalistic beliefs, and attitudes toward cancer screening practices.
The research was conducted with 1,262 adults in eastern Turkey through a cross-sectional descriptive design from December 2023 to December 2024. Three validated measurement tools were employed: the Health Literacy Scale, the Religious Health Fatalism Scale, and the Attitudes Towards Cancer Screenings Scale. Participants’ demographic data were also collected.
The central findings of the study revealed two latent classes:
- Class 1: High Health Awareness, characterized by high health literacy, positive attitudes toward cancer screenings, and low health fatalism.
- Class 2: Low Health Awareness, characterized by low health literacy, negative screening attitudes, and high fatalism.
These findings are statistically robust, with the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) confirming the two-class model as the best fit. The entropy value also supported high classification accuracy. The results underline a bidirectional influence where increased health literacy enhances proactive health behaviors such as participation in screenings, while higher fatalism leads to health inaction and reduced screening engagement.
The study contributes to the literature by emphasizing how psychosocial factors, particularly fatalistic beliefs, act as barriers to cancer screening, even when healthcare systems offer these services for free. It also suggests that public health strategies must simultaneously address health literacy deficits and cultural fatalism to improve early detection rates, especially in low-resource settings. The authors recommend community-based and culturally sensitive interventions that promote empowerment and informed decision-making in health.
Overall, the article offers valuable insights into targeted public health interventions and supports the design of evidence-based health communication policies, particularly in culturally diverse populations where health fatalism may be prevalent.
APA Citation: Uncu, F., Evcimen, H., Çiftci, N., & Yıldız, M. (2025). Relationship between health literacy, health fatalism and attitudes towards cancer screenings: Latent profile analysis. BMC Public Health, 25(2056). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23277-z
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