Community violence and associated risks among an African American church population

Community violence continues to burden the African American community. African Americans are six times more likely to be victims of homicide than Whites and the primary cause of death among young African Americans is homicide. African American churches may be well-positioned to extend reach of prevention, screening, and linkage to care services for church and community members who are increased risk of experiencing or witnessing violence. Surveys were administered to church members and community members who used church outreach services (e.g., food pantry, social services) in eleven African American churches (N = 463 participants total) in the Kansas City metropolitan area.  Participants completed questions on whether they had lost a family member or a friend to homicide or violence.  More than half participants (51.2%; N = 237) reported losing someone to homicide or violence.  Chi-square analyses concluded that participants who reported losing a friend or family member reported significantly higher rates of receiving religious counseling through their respective churches, visiting a mental health professional, and various physical health disparity issues (asthma, diabetes, cigarette smoking, poor dietary habits) than those who did not report losing a family member or friend to violence. Further research should be conducted to determine culturally appropriate interventions to address community violence, particularly with religious leaders, in African American faith-based settings.