Brewer LC, Bowie J, Slusser JP, Scott CG, Cooper LA, Hayes SN, Patten CA, Sims M. Religiosity/Spirituality and Cardiovascular Health: The American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 in African Americans of the Jackson Heart Study.
J Am Heart Assoc 2022;
11:e024974. [PMID:
36000432 PMCID:
PMC9496409 DOI:
10.1161/jaha.121.024974]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background
Religiosity/spirituality is a major coping mechanism for African Americans, but no prior studies have analyzed its association with the American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 (LS7) indicators in this group.
Methods and Results
This cross‐sectional study using Jackson Heart Study (JHS) data examined relationships between religiosity (religious attendance, private prayer, religious coping) and spirituality (theistic, nontheistic, total) with LS7 individual components (eg, physical activity, diet, smoking, blood pressure) and composite score among African Americans. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the odds of achieving intermediate/ideal (versus poor) LS7 levels adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and biomedical factors. Among the 2967 participants (mean [SD] age=54.0 [12.3] years; 65.7% women), higher religious attendance was associated with increased likelihood (reported as odds ratio [95% CI]) of achieving intermediate/ideal levels of physical activity (1.16 [1.06–1.26]), diet (1.10 [1.01–1.20]), smoking (1.50 [1.34–1.68]), blood pressure (1.12 [1.01–1.24]), and LS7 composite score (1.15 [1.06–1.26]). Private prayer was associated with increased odds of achieving intermediate/ideal levels for diet (1.12 [1.03–1.22]) and smoking (1.24 [1.12–1.39]). Religious coping was associated with increased odds of achieving intermediate/ideal levels of physical activity (1.18 [1.08–1.28]), diet (1.10 [1.01–1.20]), smoking (1.32 [1.18–1.48]), and LS7 composite score (1.14 [1.04–1.24]). Total spirituality was associated with increased odds of achieving intermediate/ideal levels of physical activity (1.11 [1.02–1.21]) and smoking (1.36 [1.21–1.53]).
Conclusions
Higher levels of religiosity/spirituality were associated with intermediate/ideal cardiovascular health across multiple LS7 indicators. Reinforcement of religiosity/spirituality in lifestyle interventions may decrease overall cardiovascular disease risk among African Americans.
Collapse