Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

African American church participation and health care practices

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of General Internal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

BACKGROUND: While religious involvement is associated with improvements in health, little is known about the relationship between church participation and health care practices.

OBJECTIVES: To determine 1) the prevalence of church participation; 2) whether church participation influences positive health care practices; and 3) whether gender, age, insurance status, and levels of comorbidity modified these relationships.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis using survey data from 2196 residents of a low-income, African-American neighborhood.

MEASUREMENTS: Our independent variable measured the frequency of church attendance. Dependent variables were: 1) Pap smear; 2) mammogram; and 3) dental visit—all taking place within 2 years; 4) blood pressure measurement within 1 year, 5) having a regular source of care, and 6) no perceived delays in care in the previous year. We controlled for socioeconomic factors and the number of comorbid conditions and also tested for interactions.

RESULTS: Thirty-seven percent of community members went to church at least monthly. Church attendance was associated with increased likelihood of positive health care practices by 20% to 80%. In multivariate analyses, church attendance was related to dental visits (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 1.9) and blood pressure measurements (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.1). Insurance status and number of comorbid conditions modified the relationship between church attendance and Pap smear, with increased practices noted for the uninsured (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 4.1) and for women with 2 or more comorbid conditions (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.5).

CONCLUSION: Church attendance is an important correlate of positive health care practices, especially for the most vulnerable subgroups, the uninsured and chronically ill. Community-and faith-based organizations present additional opportunities to improve the health of low-income and minority populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chatters LM, Levin JS, Ellison CG. Public health and health education in faith communities. Health Educ Behav. 1998;25:689–99.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Chatters LM. Religion and health: public health research and practice. Annu Rev Public Health. 2000;21:335–67.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Campbell MK, Motsinger BM, Ingram A, et al. The North Carolina Black Churches United for Better Health Project: intervention and process evaluation. Health Educ Behav. 2000;27:241–53.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gallant MP, Dorn GP. Gender and race differences in the predictors of daily health practices among older adults. Health Educ Res. 2001;16:21–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hummer RA, Rogers RG, Nam CB, Ellison CG. Religious involvement and U.S. adult mortality. Demography. 1999;36:273–85.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Livingston IL, Levine DM, Moore RD. Social integration and black intraracial variation in blood pressure. Ethn Dis. 1991;1:135–49.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Steffen PR, Hinderliter AL, Blumenthal JA, Sherwood A. Religious coping, ethnicity, and ambulatory blood pressure. Psychosom Med. 2001;63:523–30.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Strawbridge WJ, Cohen RD, Shema SJ, Kaplan GA. Frequent attendance at religious services and mortality over 28 years. Am J Public Health. 1997;87:957–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Strawbridge WJ, Shema SJ, Cohen RD, Roberts RE, Kaplan GA. Religiosity buffers effects of some stressors on depression but exacerbates others. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1998;53:118S-126S.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Strawbridge WJ, Cohen RD, Shema SJ. Comparative strength of association between religious attendance and survival. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2000;30:299–308.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Strawbridge WJ, Shema SJ, Cohen RD, Kaplan GA. Religious attendance increases survival by improving and maintaining good health behaviors, mental health, and social relationships. Ann Behav Med. 2001;23:68–74.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Koenig HG. Religion and medicine I: historical background and reasons for separation. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2000;30:385–98.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Musgrave CF, Allen CE, Allen GJ. Spirituality and health for women of color. Am J Public Health. 2002;92:557–60.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Helm HM, Hays JC, Flint EP, Koenig HG, Blazer DG. Does private religious activity prolong survival? A six-year follow-up study of 3,851 older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;55:M400-M405.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Koenig HG. An 83-year-old woman with chronic illness and strong religious beliefs. JAMA. 2002;288:487–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Pardini DA, Plante TG, Sherman A, Stump JE. Religious faith and spirituality in substance abuse recovery: determining the mental health benefits. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2000;19:347–54.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Levin JS, Chatters LM, Taylor RJ. Religious effects on health status and life satisfaction among black Americans. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1995;50:154S-163S.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bourjolly JN. Differences in religiousness among black and white women with breast cancer. Soc Work Health Care. 1998;28:21–39.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Levin JS, Chatters LM. Religion, health, and psychological well-being in older adults: findings from three national surveys. J Aging Health. 1998;10:504–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kang SH, Bloom JR. Social support and cancer screening among older black Americans. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1993;85:737–42.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bone LR, Hill MN, Stallings R, et al. Community health survey in an urban African-American neighborhood: distribution and correlates of elevated blood pressure. Ethn Dis. 2000;10:87–95.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Taylor RJ, Ellison CG, Chatters LM, Levin JS, Lincoln KD. Mental health services in faith communities: the role of clergy in black churches. Soc Work. 2000;45:73–87.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Davis DT, Bustamante A, Brown CP, et al. The urban church and cancer control: a source of social influence in minority communities. Public Health Rep. 1994;109:500–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Eng E, Hatch JW. Networking between agencies and black churches: The lay health advisor model. Pre Hum Serv. 1991;10:123–46.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Whooley MA, Boyd AL, Gardin JM, Williams DR. Religious involvement and cigarette smoking in young adults: the CARDIA study. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:1604–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Pargament KI, Ensing DS, Falgout K, et al. God help me: religious coping efforts as predictors of outcomes to significant negative life events. Am J Community Psychol. 1990;18:793–824.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Mendes de Leon CF, Seeman TE, Baker DI, Richardson ED, Tinetti ME. Self-efficacy, physical decline, and change in functioning in community-living elders: a prospective study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1996;51:183S-190S.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Seeman T, McAvay G, Merrill S, Albert M, Rodin J. Self-efficacy beliefs and change in cognitive performance: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging. Psychol Aging. 1996;11:538–51.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Rossman ML. Should a doctor ask about a patient’s spiritual beliefs? Adv Mind Body Med. 2001;17:101–3.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Priority Populations Research, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, 20850, Rockville, MD

    Kaytura Felix Aaron MD & Helen R. Burstin MD, MPH

  2. the Departments of Medicine and Health Policy and Management, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Md

    David Levine MD, ScD

Authors
  1. Kaytura Felix Aaron MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David Levine MD, ScD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Helen R. Burstin MD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kaytura Felix Aaron MD.

Additional information

Dr. Felix Aaron and Dr. Burstin are staff members in the Center for Primary Care Research at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors. No official endorsement by any agency of the federal government is intended or should be inferred.

Funding: This is a substudy of a randomized clinical trial that was funded by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, grant number HL511-01. Work supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aaron, K.F., Levine, D. & Burstin, H.R. African American church participation and health care practices. J GEN INTERN MED 18, 908–913 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20936.x

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20936.x

Key words

Search

Navigation