Objectives: To review the concept of fatalism among African Americans by discussing how religiosity/spirituality may guide them in seeking cancer care in a positive rather than a fatalistic way.
Data sources: Nursing, social science, and medical journals.
Conclusion: Using culturally targeted faith-based interventions to educate African Americans about cancer can serve as a strategy to increase cancer knowledge, decrease cancer fatalism, and ultimately increase cancer screening and treatment resulting in cancer activism.
Implications for nursing practice: Nurses should advocate for faith-based initiatives to help address fatalism in the African American community, and to assist them in developing a more proactive role in cancer screening, treatment, and survivorship.