Spiritual role in healing. An alternative way of thinking

Religious Practices and Self-Care in Iranian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

This study aimed to examine the relationship between religious practices and self-care of patients with type 2 diabetes. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted on 154 diabetic patients who were referred to two general teaching hospitals in Qom City (Iran). Data were collected using demographic questionnaire, private and public religious practices, and summary of diabetes self-care activities questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical tests including independent t test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Significant positive correlations were observed between religious practices and self-care activities in diabetic patients (p < 0.05). Significant positive correlations were also found between some religious practices and self-care activities subscales (p < 0.05). Healthcare providers should be aware of the role that religion plays in the lives of diabetic patients and be able to take religious factors into account when developing care plans. Doing so will enhance a more patient-centered approach and thereby support patients in their role as self-care decision-makers.

People's Choice: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Modalities

The diversity within CAM use in the community, and the beliefs, concerns, and characteristics of the users of individual CAM modalities was explored via a survey mailed to a randomly selected sample of 1,308 people in different metropolitan and rural localities in Victoria, Australia. The response rate was 40% ( n = 459). The respondents' overall current CAM use was 52% and lifetime use was 85%. Chiropractic (50%), massage therapy, (50%), and vitamin or herbal supplements (39%) were the most frequently used modalities. A set of beliefs labeled holistic health care beliefs strongly predicted the use of Natural Remedy and Wellness modalities. Users of these modalities were more likely to be female, under the age of 60, and tertiary educated. Rurality characteristics did not predict rural CAM usage and were equally present in metropolitan and rural respondents. The respondents' decisions concerning CAM involved choosing a modality that fit their self-assessed health care needs.

Men of Prayer: Spirituality of Men With Prostate Cancer

Spirituality plays a powerful role in cancer treatment and recovery; it has been identified by hospitalized patients as one of their top priorities of care. However, health care providers struggle to find ways to address the spirituality of their patients. The purposes of this study were to discover what spirituality means for men with prostate cancer and how it influences their treatment. Eleven men, ages 54 to 71, with prostate cancer were interviewed within several days following radical prostatectomy with bilateral lymph node staging. This grounded theory methodology generated three categories of spirituality: (a) praying, (b) receiving support, and (c) coping with cancer. The basic social process, coping with cancer, occurred in four phases: facing cancer, choosing treatment, trusting, and living day by day. These results were validated by four of the participants for truthfulness. The findings of this study provide holistic nurses with knowledge and a midrange theory of spirituality that can be usedin building a research-based practice.

Adolescent sexual risk-taking in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya: understanding the contributions of religion

Young people in sub-Saharan Africa are at the centre of the global HIV epidemic as they account for a disproportionate share of new infections. Their vulnerability to HIV has been attributed to a myriad of factors, in particular, risky sexual behaviours. While economic factors are important, increasing attention has been devoted to religion on the discourse on sexual decision-making because religious values provide a perspective on life that often conflicts with risky sexual behaviours. Given the centrality of religion in the African social fabric, this study assesses the relationship between adolescent religiousness and involvement in risky sexual behaviours using data from the informal settlements of Nairobi. Guided by social control theory, the paper explores if and how religion and religiosity affect sexual risk-taking among adolescents.

Residential volatile substance misuse treatment for indigenous youth in Canada

The Youth Solvent Addiction Program (YSAP) was established in 1996 in response to the misuse of volatile substances among First Nations and Inuit youth in Canada. This article outlines the role of Indigenous culture and its intersection with Western approaches to recovery in YSAP's operation of nine residential treatment centers for youth. Treatment practices and client outcome data are used to illustrate YSAP's approach. Limitations of the article are noted.

How family practice physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants incorporate spiritual care in practice

PURPOSE

To investigate how primary care family practice providers incorporate spirituality into their practices in spite of documented barriers.

DATA SOURCES

A phenomenological qualitative design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three physicians, five nurse practitioners, and two physician assistants.

CONCLUSIONS

Five major theme clusters emerged: (1) discerning instances for overt spiritual assessment; (2) displaying a genuine and caring attitude; (3) encouraging the use of existing spiritual practices; (4) documenting spiritual care for continuity of care; (5) managing perceived barriers to spiritual care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Findings support that patients' spiritual needs can be addressed in spite of documented barriers. Techniques to assist providers in providing spiritual care are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.

Spiritual well-being and spiritual practices in HIV-infected women: a preliminary study

Today in the United States, women account for more than one quarter of all HIV diagnoses; globally, HIV is the leading cause of death among women ages 35 to 44 years. There is a growing body of research regarding spirituality among those who are infected with HIV. The purposes of this quantitative descriptive study were to (a) describe two dimensions of spirituality (spiritual well-being and spiritual practices), and (b) determine relationships between these dimensions of spirituality in HIV-infected women. Participants were 83 HIV-infected women. The average age of the women was 43 years, and the majority of the participants were African American (62%). The three most frequently used spiritual practices were praying alone, helping others, and listening to music. A high level of spiritual well-being was evident among the participants, and a positive relationship was shown between spiritual well-being and number of spiritual practices used. Recommendations for future research are included.

Religious coping and problem-solving by couples faced with prostate cancer

Religion can be an important resource for people struggling with chronic illness. Problem-solving skills have also been shown to be helpful. This study examined whether turning to religion as a coping resource would be associated with better problem-solving in couples trying to manage challenges associated with prostate cancer. The sample was 101 patients with prostate cancer and their wives. Wives completed the Social Problem-Solving Inventory--Revised at baseline (T1) and 10 weeks later (T2). Patients and their wives also completed a measure that included items on religious coping. These items were used to classify couples into four groups based on whether one or both members engaged in religious coping: (1) husband only, (2) wife only, (3) both husband and wife, and (4) neither husband nor wife. From T1 to T2, wives who used religious coping along with their husbands (group 3) showed a significantly greater reduction in dysfunctional problem-solving (specifically, on impulsive/careless problem-solving) in comparison with wives who used religious coping while their husbands did not (group 2). Findings suggest that when couples share in turning to religion as a source of coping, this may be associated with improved problem-solving, but sole engagement in religious coping by wives may be associated with worse problem-solving.

Vulnerable Populations: Cultural and Spiritual Direction

Cultural, spiritual, and religious diversity of emergency department patients is increasing while that of emergency physicians in particular remains predominantly homogeneous. With a discordance of cultural, race, and ethnicity exist, in the case of ethical conflict -resolution becomes that much more difficult. Patients may feel vulnerable when their emergency care provider does not understand his or her cultural, spiritual, and religious uniqueness as it relates to the patient-doctor interaction and health care decision making. This review will examine (1) language differences; (2) cultural, religious, and spiritual differences between patient and provider; (3) differing explanatory models of disease between patient and provider; and (4) diverse bioethical models of decision making of differing cultures in an effort to reduce vulnerabilities.

Religious attendance and continuity of care

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between religious attendance and continuity of care.

METHODS

We investigated this relationship in a large national database--the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III--which contains information on religious attendance, continuity of care, and potential confounders that might mediate the relationship such as health status and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

A total of 18,162 participants 17 years of age or older were included in the analysis. People who attended religious services were more likely to have continuity with a provider than people who did not attend such services (65% vs. 35%, p < .001). This association persisted after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and health status variables using regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

This study documents a significant association between attendance at religious services and continuity with a usual provider. Continuity with a regular medical provider may influence the association of religious attendance and health outcomes.

Spirituality in gynecological oncology: a review

The following is a review of some of the work that has been published on issues related to definitions of spirituality and the many ways in which religious or spiritual concerns inform and can sometimes mold the relationships between gynecologic oncology patients, their physicians, and their health. Moreover, we have raised the question whether there is something specific or unique to the experience of women patients with reproductive cancers? Although it might seem clear to many of us that these patients are unique, it is hard to say exactly why. While there are differences between the various types of reproductive cancers, all share a common thread and all undermine the patient's identity as a woman. For oncologists, exploring the connection between the healing of the body and the healing of the spirit recognizes the comprehensive character of cancer treatment, and furthers the understanding that both physicians and patients share a knowledge that what patients lose in their battle with cancer is more than simply a medical life.