RSAS-3: validation of a very brief measure of Religious Commitment for use in health research

Further Validation of the Religious Surrender and Attendance Scale-3 (RSAS-3)

Background: The Religious Surrender and Attendance Scale -3 (RSAS-3) is a very brief measure used to quantify religious commitment as a protective health factor.Methods: To provide evidence of criterion-related validity of the RSAS-3, 440 community members and undergraduate students completed a survey containing three religiosity measures: the RSAS-3, the Intrinsic/Extrinsic Orientation scale, and the Belief into Action scale (BIAC), and a measure of problematic substance use, Texas Christian University Drug Screen-5. It was hypothesized all religiosity measures would be positively interrelated, the measure of problematic use would be negatively related to all religiosity measures, and that the RSAS-3 would be strongly predictive of absence of problematic substance use. After data filtering and imputation, bivariate correlations were calculated to establish convergent validity.Results: All relationships were in the predicted directions. Specifically, BIAC had the strongest relationship with the RSAS-3, r (440) = .906, p < .001, followed by intrinsic religiosity, r (440) =.814, p < .001, and extrinsic religiosity, r (440) = .694, p < .001. The RSAS-3 was the strongest predictor of problematic use among the religiosity measures, r (440) = -0.230, p <.001. Criterion-related validity of the RSAS-3 was supported using logistic regression to explore intrinsic religiosity, extrinsic religiosity, BIAC, and RSAS-3 as predictors of the presence/absence of problematic substance use. The RSAS-3 was the only significant predictor (OR = .858 [95% CI .757 - .973], p = .017).Conclusion: All results provide further evidence for the validity of the RSAS-3 as a very brief measure of religious commitment useful in health settings.

Heterogeneity in Religious Commitment and Its Predictors

Nowadays, people show various forms of religious commitment. To better understand this heterogeneity, it is necessary to analyze the factors that predict that commitment. For this purpose, the paper raises the question of whether and how such commitment is predicted by (a) the character of the religious institution to which the individual belongs; (b) individual characteristics, such as intelligence and attitude toward religion; and (c) social environment, such as one’s religious upbringing in the family home. According to logistic regression analysis, it is predominantly religious belonging and religious socialization in the family home that predict religious commitment. Religious socialization is by far the most effective predictor when the difference between marginal and slight religious commitment is regarded. The predictive power of religious belonging depends on the particular religious tradition, as being Muslim has a bigger effect on religious commitment than being Protestant or Catholic. Individual characteristics, however, have no impact on how an individual engages with religion.

Roles of Religious Commitment, Emotion Regulation and Social Support in Preoperative Anxiety

Surgery is a relatively commonplace medical procedure in healthcare settings. The mental health status of the person undergoing surgery is vital, but there is dearth of empirical studies on the mental health status of surgery patients, particularly with regard to the factors associated with anxiety in surgical conditions. This study investigated the roles of religious commitment, emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and social support in preoperative anxiety in a sample of 210 surgical inpatients from a Nigerian tertiary healthcare institution. A cross-sectional design was adopted. Before the surgery, respondents completed the state anxiety subscale of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Religious Commitment Inventory, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. After controlling for relevant demographic factors, regression results showed that cognitive reappraisal, social support and interpersonal religious commitment were negatively associated with preoperative anxiety, while expressive suppression was positively associated with preoperative anxiety. The emotion regulation strategies made robust and significant explanation of variance in preoperative anxiety. Appropriate interventions to promote interpersonal religious commitment, encourage cognitive reappraisal and enhance social support quality may improve mental health outcomes in surgery.

Validation of the Belief Into Action Scale (BIAC) in Portuguese Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Background: A large proportion of the world's population have religious beliefs, with 84.0% indicating an affiliation with a specific religious group. Few comprehensive measures to assess religious involvement currently exist in Portugal, particularly for the assessment of religiosity in cancer patients. Objective: To translate, adapt, and validate the 10-item Belief Into Action Scale (BIAC) in Portuguese cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Method: The methodological guidelines provided by Sousa and Rojjanasrirat were used to examine the psychometric properties of the BIAC. Results: The linguistic and conceptual equivalence of the scale was determined. The internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's α = .86). Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization identified two factors made up of nine items. Conclusion: The European Portuguese version of the BIAC is a reliable and valid measure for assessing religiosity in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to provide holistic care.

The Role of Religious Behavior in Health Self-Management: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study

Prevalence of chronic disease, mental health problems, and risk behaviors in San Bernardino (SB) County reflect some of the worst health outcomes in the State of California and the United States. Using the Integrated Theory of Health Behavior Change (ITHBC) as the theoretical framework, this community-based participatory research (CBPR) study aimed to determine how religious self-regulation skills and ability, and religious behaviors, jointly affect health promotion behaviors among socio-economically challenged residents of southwest SB County, California. A convenience sample of adult residents (N = 261) completed a series of inventories to measure the relationship between modified ITHBC constructs of religious self-regulation skills, religious self-management behaviors, and health outcomes. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis was conducted to validate the strong positive effect of religious self-regulation skills and ability on how frequently individuals engage in both organized and non-organized religious activities. Results also indicated a significant positive impact of religious behaviors towards healthy eating behaviors. However, without the engagement in religious activities, high religious self-regulation skills and ability inhibited the likelihood of healthy food intake. This faith-related theoretical model provides an avenue for faith-based organizations’ capacity for contributing to community health promotion.

Assessing Religious Commitment and Satisfaction: The Religious Surrender and Attendance Satisfaction Scale

Survey instruments have been developed to measure whether someone claims to be religious but do not address the degree to which someone is satisfied with their religious commitment. The Religious Surrender and Attendance Satisfaction Scale (RSASS) was revised to measure both a person's level of religious commitment and satisfaction with level of religious commitment. This study was conducted to determine initial validity for the satisfaction portion of the RSASS. Construct validity measures provided initial confirmation of the utility of RSASS as a measure of satisfaction with religious commitment, that can be used by nurses in practice and research.

The Relationship Between Religiosity and Health-Promoting Behaviors in Pregnant Women

Pender's health promotion model guided this descriptive/correlational study exploring the relationship between religiosity and health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women at Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs). A consecutive sample included women who knew they were pregnant at least 2 months, could read/write English, and visited PRCs in eastern Pennsylvania. Participants completed self-report surveys that examined religiosity, demographics, pregnancy-related variables, services received at PRCs, and health-promoting behaviors. Women reported they "sometimes" or "often" engaged in health-promoting behaviors, Hispanic women reported fewer health-promoting behaviors than non-Hispanic women, and women who attended classes at the centers reported more frequent health-promoting behaviors than those who did not attend classes. In separate multiple linear regressions, organized, non-organized, and intrinsic religiosity and satisfaction with surrender to God explained additional variance in health-promoting behaviors above and beyond what Hispanic ethnicity and attending classes at the PRCs explained in pregnant women at PRCs.