Physical Health Problem Intrusion Linking Religious Attributions to Marital Satisfaction in Survivors of the 2004 Tsunami

Keywords

natural disaster, karma, tsunami, physical health

Abstract

The impact of the 2004 tsunami that struck East Asia on Buddhist, Sri Lankan mothers was investigated in thisstudy. More specifically, the relationship between attributing the 2004 tsunami to Karma and marital satisfaction wasexamined in a sample of 163 women, 3 years after the Disaster. Mediation by persisting physical health problems, on the relationship between attributing the tsunami to Karma and martial satisfaction, after controlling for mental health status and income before the tsunami was also tested. Karma attributions were not directly associated with marital satisfaction. However, an indirect path positively linking Karma attributions with persistent physical health challenges, and negatively linking physical health challenges to marital satisfaction was observed. Using Hobfoll’s (1989) conservation of resources (COR) model, implications of physical health challenges for disaster survivors and attributions endorsing an external locus of control are discussed.

Original Publication Citation

Banford, A.,Wickrama, T., Ketring, S. (2014). Physical health problem intrusion linkingreligious attributions to marital satisfaction in survivors of the 2004 tsunami. Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters, 4(1).

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2014-02-02

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6874

Publisher

Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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