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Validation of the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) in Portuguese Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

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Abstract

Religion is one of the strategies used to cope with life stressful events, particularly in cancer patients. This study aimed to translate, adapt and validate the 5-item Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) into European Portuguese. This is a cross-sectional study in a sample of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Data were collected in July–October 2018, and the study was approved by the ethics committee of the institution. A sample of 150 participants was included (64.7% female and 35.3% male), aged 35–83 years, and mainly Catholic (86.7%). Participants who were females, older, had lower education and from evangelical religious traditions scored higher on the total score. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.89. Factor analysis revealed a one-factor solution. Convergent validity was achieved between DUREL and BIAC (r = 0.78; p < 0.01). The DUREL European Portuguese version is a valid and reliable tool for measuring religious commitment in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all the patients who accepted to join in this study and the healthcare professionals at Oncology Day Unit of a medical center in the south of Portugal and also to all the experts who have made their contribution in the conceptual framework of the DUREL scale.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Palma de Cima, 1649-023, Lisbon, Portugal

    Helga Martins & Sílvia Caldeira

  2. Centre of Statistics and Its Applications - CEAUL, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Tiago Dias Domingues

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Harold G. Koenig

  4. Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Harold G. Koenig

  5. Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua de Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005, Oporto, Portugal

    Margarida Vieira

Authors
  1. Helga Martins
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  2. Sílvia Caldeira
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  3. Tiago Dias Domingues
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  4. Margarida Vieira
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  5. Harold G. Koenig
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Contributions

H.M. and S.C. conceived and designed the study, collected and analyzed the data and wrote the paper. T.D.D. analyzed the data and wrote the paper. M.V. wrote the paper. H.G.K. wrote the paper and expertise counseling.

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Correspondence to Sílvia Caldeira.

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Martins, H., Caldeira, S., Domingues, T.D. et al. Validation of the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) in Portuguese Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy. J Relig Health 60, 3562–3575 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01143-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01143-z

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