Oral

The purpose of this oral session is to highlight research being conducted on spirituality or religiosity and various health-related outcomes. As interest in the relationship between spirituality/religiosity and health increases, there is need for validated instruments to measure these constructs. The presentations include diverse methods for measuring religiosity and spirituality – e.g., the Duke Religion Index and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, a new spiritual capital instrument. The outcomes examined are likewise diverse – e.g., health-related quality of life for men with metastatic prostate cancer, high risk sexual behavior or HIV/STI prevalence among female methamphetamine users, and trust in physicians and religious leaders regarding health information. Understanding how the relationship between spirituality/religiosity and health-related outcomes varies across different groups and different types of outcomes is important for moving the field forward.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe different methods for measuring spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual capital. 2. Understand the association between spirituality or religiosity and health-related outcomes among diverse subgroups. 3. Discuss racial differences in religiosity and how these are related to differences in trust of physicians and research.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)