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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
5002.0: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - Board 8

Abstract #111675

Health Promotion, Emotional Health, and Religion: Results of an African American Community Sample

Michele Yehieli, DrPH1, Mel Gonnerman, PhD1, and Gene M. Lutz, PhD2. (1) Iowa Project EXPORT Center of Excellence on Health Disparities, University of Northern Iowa, 220 WRC, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0241, 319 273-7965, michele.yehieli@uni.edu, (2) Center for Social & Behavioral Research, University of Northern Iowa, 221 Sabin Hall, Cedar Falls, IA 50614

Background: A better understanding of the role of religion and health locus of control beliefs among African Americans has implications for efforts to reduce health disparities by increasing health promoting behaviors and by decreasing the incidents of emotional problems.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship of religion, gender, age, health locus of control, health promoting behaviors, and emotional and physical health among African Americans.

Method: A nonrandom community sample of 107 adult African Americans, who were Protestant Christians living in a low-income neighborhood in a small metropolitan area in Northeast Iowa, completed face-to-face interviews.

Results: Religion measures were associated with higher levels of spiritual growth and interpersonal relationships and health promoting behaviors. Religion measures were also associated with fewer negative emotional experiences such as loneliness, trouble sleeping, problems eating, and not wanting to see people. Health locus of control beliefs were predictive of health promoting behaviors in the area of interpersonal relationships, and this category of health promotion was associated with loneliness, eating problems, and not wanting to see people.

Conclusions: Frequent church attendance and spirituality are associated with positive emotional health outcomes. These findings are supportive of efforts to bridge people's faith with their reception of health services.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Faith Community, Health Behavior

Related Web page: www.iowahealthdisparities.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Connecting Faith to Evidence Based Approaches

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA