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Explaining illness with evil: pathogen prevalence fosters moral vitalism.

ABSTRACT: Pathogens represent a significant threat to human health leading to the emergence of strategies designed to help manage their negative impact. We examined how spiritual beliefs developed to explain and predict the devastating effects of pathogens and spread of infectious disease. Analysis of existing data in studies 1 and 2 suggests that moral vitalism (beliefs about spiritual forces of evil) is higher in geographical regions characterized by historical higher levels of pathogens. Furthermore, drawing on a sample of 3140 participants from 28 countries in study 3, we found that historical higher levels of pathogens were associated with stronger endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs. Furthermore, endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs statistically mediated the previously reported relationship between pathogen prevalence and conservative ideologies, suggesting these beliefs reinforce behavioural strategies which function to prevent infection. We conclude that moral vitalism may be adaptive: by emphasizing concerns over contagion, it provided an explanatory model that enabled human groups to reduce rates of contagious disease.

SUBMITTER: Bastian B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6842846 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Explaining illness with evil: pathogen prevalence fosters moral vitalism.

Bastian Brock B Vauclair Christin-Melanie CM Loughnan Steve S Bain Paul P Ashokkumar Ashwini A Becker Maja M Bilewicz Michał M Collier-Baker Emma E Crespo Carla C Eastwick Paul W PW Fischer Ronald R Friese Malte M Gómez Ángel Á Guerra Valeschka M VM Guevara José Luis Castellanos JLC Hanke Katja K Hooper Nic N Huang Li-Li LL Junqi Shi S Karasawa Minoru M Kuppens Peter P Leknes Siri S Peker Müjde M Pelay Cesar C Pina Afroditi A Sachkova Marianna M Saguy Tamar T Silfver-Kuhalampi Mia M Sortheix Florencia F Tong Jennifer J Yeung Victoria Wai-Lan VW Duffy Jacob J Swann William B WB

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20191030 1914

Pathogens represent a significant threat to human health leading to the emergence of strategies designed to help manage their negative impact. We examined how spiritual beliefs developed to explain and predict the devastating effects of pathogens and spread of infectious disease. Analysis of existing data in studies 1 and 2 suggests that moral vitalism (beliefs about spiritual forces of evil) is higher in geographical regions characterized by historical higher levels of pathogens. Furthermore, d ...[more]

PMID: 31662082

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Project description:To examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and computed tomography (CT) utilization and to determine whether there were patterns of comorbid illness that could explain the relationship.The study was approved by the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center Research and Development Committee. By using a retrospective cohort design, a national sample of new veteran enrollees aged 18-35 years was studied. Associations were examined between the presence of PTSD, receipt of at least one and multiple CT scans, comorbid medical conditions (eg, abdominal pain, headaches), and measures of health care utilization (eg, primary care, emergency room, and mental health visits) and the daily probability of the receipt of at least one CT scan before and after a diagnosis of PTSD. Analyses included sequential multivariable generalized linear mixed models to examine the independent relationship between PTSD and CT scan utilization.Among the full cohort, 13.0% (10 018 of 76 812) received at least one CT scan. PTSD was identified in 21.1% (16 182 of 76 812) of the cohort, and 22.9% (3711 of 16 182) of veterans with PTSD received at least one CT scan as compared with 10.4% (6307 of 60 630) of veterans without PTSD (P < .0001). In sequential modeling, comorbid factors explaining the relationship between CT scans and PTSD were traumatic brain injury (odds ratio, 3.54; P < .0001), abdominal pain (odds ratio, 4.01; P < .0001), and headaches (odds ratio, 3.07; P < .0001). Associations were also strong for high levels of emergency room (odds ratio, 2.73; P < .0001) and primary care (odds ratio, 2.38; P < .0001) utilization. The daily chance of receiving a CT scan was seven times higher prior to the recognition of PTSD (daily chance, 0.007 before vs 0.001 after; P < .0001).Young veterans with PTSD are receiving more CT scans compared with those without PTSD; the daily probability of receiving CT scans is higher prior to recognition of PTSD.http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.13121593/-/DC1.

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Explaining illness with evil: pathogen prevalence fosters moral vitalism.

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Explaining illness with evil: pathogen prevalence fosters moral vitalism.

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