Religiosity and interest in chronic disease self-management programs among Latinos

Issues: In delivering chronic disease self-management (CDSM) to Latinos, we wanted to learn about the influence of religion on interest, motivation and perceived barriers to program participation. Are there significant differences between frequent and infrequent churchgoers in terms of demographics, health status and self-management program interest?

Description: “My Health in My Hands” is a multi-year program delivering CDSM classes and other activities to Latinos with chronic diseases. Using a CBPR framework, we recruited 216 Latinos. All were assessed on health status, chronic disease coping strategies, co-morbidities, levels of pain, self-efficacy, religiosity, depression, functional limitations, health care utilization, BMI, interest and perceived barriers in self-management programs. CDSM and other activities were offered; post assessments are underway.

Lessons learned: Initial assessment showed that over 65% of the Latinos attended religious services at least once a month (frequent churchgoers) and others attended church less than once a month (infrequent churchgoers). Importantly, there was no difference between the groups with regard to CDSM program interest. The two groups were similar in terms of strategies for coping with chronic diseases. However, frequent churchgoers were more distressed about their health, had higher depression scores, greater number of days with poor mental health, greater activity limitations and took a more active role in diet, physical activities and other self-management routines.

Recommendations: Though interest in CDSM does not appear to be influenced by Latinos' religiosity, the influence of religion in sustaining the benefits of CDSM in the long run needs to be assessed.