Attitude Toward Death in Healthy People and Patients With Diabetes and Cancer

BACKGROUND: A person's beliefs can influence the progression of his/her disease;and battling an illness can trigger severe anxiety about death. This study aims to compare the attitude toward death between healthy people and those suffering from diabetes and cancer. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 300 individuals were selected by convenient sampling method. Three groups were matched by gender, age, education, and monthly income. Information was collected through a Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAPR) questionnaire and Analyzed Via Covariance (ANCOVA). RESULTS: The results indicated no difference in death attitude among the three groups (f=2.705, p<0.05). All the three groups displayed a higher mean in neutral and approach acceptance. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was found that disease did not seem to change death attitudes; rather the patients' current attitude had been shaped by previous stages of their sickness.