Influence of superstition on the date of hospital discharge and medical cost in Japan: retrospective and descriptive study

Editor, the interesting paper of Hira et al. (1) open renewed
attention about the intriguing relationship between superstition and
medicine. Also in Europe popular credence influences self-medication and
the relationship between people and practitioners. In Italy it is a
common practice to consult popular healers for the cure of Herpes Zooster
infection (usually called "S. Anthony’s Fire"), and the astrologic advices
that are daily published in the newspapers are usually looked by millions
of people.

A survey from the free astrologic responses weekly provided by
a local radio broadcasting company of Bologna, Northern Italy, was carried
out to evaluate the frequency of calls regarding health problems. Calls
about health questions accounted for 19% of a total of 280 advice recorded
in a 6-month period. The 86% of callers were females with a mean age of 36
years, and 42% of questions regarded pregnancy. The remaining calls were
related to various gynaecological problems, chronic bone disease, head-
ache, general health status, and the possible results of medical
investigations. In all the cases it was suggested to follow medical
advice.

The need of astrological advice may represent a sign of a crisis in the
relationship between patients and doctors. The regularity of readership of
astrology column has been related to several anxiety dimensions (2), and
readers usually seek confirmatory evidence for their hypotheses, so that
this strategy results in a self-fulfilling prophecy (3). Astrologists
simply gives common sense advice for an audience that feels weak and
dependent, satisfying a needing of reassurance that is usually demanded
to the doctor. By mean of this manner, astrologers still maintain a
certain influence on the psychological dimension of health care, also in
highly developed areas and for young people.

Cesare Tosetti

General Practitioner,
Porretta Terme (Bologna), Italy.

1. Hira K, Fukui T, Endoh A, Rahman M, Maekawa M. Influence of
superstition on the date of hospital discharge and medical cost in Japan:
retrospective and descriptive study. BMJ 1998;317:1680-3.

2. Weimann G. The prophecy that never fails: on uses and
gratifications of horoscope reading. Sociological Inquiry 1982; 52:274-90.

3. Glick P, Snyder M. Self-fulfilling prophecy: the psychology of
belief in astrology. The Humanist 1986;46: 20-5.