Faith-Based Interventions: Pathways to Health Promotion

NEWSTART: An 8-Week Faith-Based Health Promotion Program to Reduce Chronic Disease Risk Factors in the US

This single-group experimental study examined the effectiveness of NEWSTART, an 8-week health promotion program among adults in an Adventist Faith Community. Participants had a significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure [Formula: see text] with a moderate effect size (Cohen d = 0.68), reduction of daily sugar-sweetened beverage intake [Formula: see text] with a large effect size (Cohen d = 0.96), and an improvement in weekly moderate intensity exercise [Formula: see text] with a large effect size (Cohen d = .83). Participants met the fruit and vegetable intake recommendations and applying program principles to reduce chronic disease risk factors.

Using Trauma Informed Principles in Health Communication: Improving Faith/Science/Clinical Collaboration to Address Addiction

Problematic substance use is a pressing global health problem, and dissemination and implementation of accurate health information regarding prevention, treatment, and recovery are vital. In many nations, especially the US, many people are involved in religious groups or faith communities, and this offers a potential route to positively affect health through health information dissemination in communities that may have limited health resources. Health information related to addiction will be used as the backdrop issue for this discussion, but many health arenas could be substituted. This article evaluates the utility of commonly used health communication theories for communicating health information about addiction in religious settings and identifies their shortcomings. A lack of trusting, equally contributing, bidirectional collaboration among representatives of the clinical/scientific community and religious/faith communities in the development and dissemination of health information is identified as a potential impediment to effectiveness. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) tenets of trauma-informed practice, although developed for one-on-one use with those who have experienced trauma or adversity, are presented as a much more broadly applicable framework to improve communication between groups such as organizations or communities. As an example, we focus on health communication within, with, and through religious groups and particularly within churches.

Impact of spiritual beliefs and faith-based interventions on diabetes management

Management of diabetes constitutes significant social and economic burdens worldwide. There is a shortage of empirical studies on the management of diabetes and the associated mental health issues through spiritual beliefs and faith-based interventions (FBIs). It is not also clear how spiritual beliefs and FBIs account for the effective management of diabetic conditions. This article discusses the impact of spiritual beliefs and FBIs in the management of diabetes, from relationship and efficacy studies that report outcomes from experimental procedures of related interventions. The majority of the relationship studies showed positive relationships, while efficacy studies showed a high efficacy of interventions in faith-based approaches. However, none of the studies clearly reported the mechanisms of change or modality of operation in a FBI that can serve as a model across culture and context. Possible mechanisms of change were discussed for further development of a standard faith-based model, and finally, suggestions for future research were also highlighted by the authors.

Program Implementation and Church Members' Health Behaviors in a Countywide Study of the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Program

Implementation research of health programs in faith-based organizations is lacking. The Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program helps churches improve physical activity and fruit and vegetable behaviors of members. This study examined associations between implementation of FAN intervention components and church members' physical activity, fruit and vegetable behaviors, and self-efficacy for improving these behaviors. FAN was implemented in 35 churches in a southeastern US county. After attending in-person training, led by community health advisors, church committees received 12 months of telephone-delivered technical assistance to implement FAN according to 4 components: increasing opportunities, increasing guidelines and policies, increasing pastor support, and increasing messages for physical activity and healthy eating in their church. In this correlational study, FAN coordinators (n = 35) for each church reported baseline practices in 2015 and 12-month follow-up implementation of the 4 components for physical activity and healthy eating in 2016. Church members (n = 893) reported perceived implementation, physical activity and fruit and vegetable behaviors, and self-efficacy at 12-month follow-up in 2016. Independent variables were coordinator-reported baseline practices, baseline-adjusted 12-month implementation, and member-perceived 12-month implementation. Multilevel modeling examined associations between independent variables and member-reported 12-month physical activity and fruit and vegetable behaviors and self-efficacy. Coordinator-reported 12-month implementation of fruit and vegetable opportunities was associated with member fruit and vegetable consumption. Member perceptions at 12 months of church physical activity opportunities, pastor support, and messages were associated with higher self-efficacy for physical activity; pastor support and messages were positively associated with physical activity. Member perceptions at 12 months of fruit and vegetable opportunities, pastor support, and messages were associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption and self-efficacy. Member-perceived implementation was more strongly associated with member behaviors than coordinator-reported implementation. Providing opportunities for healthy eating during already scheduled events may be an effective strategy for improving fruit and vegetable behavior.

The Effect of a Priest-Led Intervention on the Choice and Preference of Soda Beverages: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Catholic Parishes

BACKGROUND

Latin America ranks among the regions with the highest level of intake of sugary beverages in the world. Innovative strategies to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks are necessary.

PURPOSE

Evaluate the effect of a one-off priest-led intervention on the choice and preference of soda beverages.

METHODS

We conducted a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial in Catholic parishes, paired by number of attendees, in Chimbote, Peru between March and June of 2017. The priest-led intervention, a short message about the importance of protecting one's health, was delivered during the mass. The primary outcome was the proportion of individuals that choose a bottle of soda instead of a bottle of water immediately after the service. Cluster-level estimates were used to compare primary and secondary outcomes between intervention and control groups utilizing nonparametric tests.

RESULTS

Six parishes were allocated to control and six to the intervention group. The proportion of soda selection at baseline was ~60% in the intervention and control groups, and ranged from 56.3% to 63.8% in Week 1, and from 62.7% to 68.2% in Week 3. The proportion of mass attendees choosing water over soda was better in the priest-led intervention group: 8.2% higher at Week 1 (95% confidence interval 1.7%-14.6%, p = .03), and 6.2% higher at 3 weeks after baseline (p = .15).

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the proof-of-concept that a brief priest-led intervention can decrease sugary drink choice.

CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION

ISRCTN, ISRCTN24676734. Registered 25 April 2017, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN24676734.

Understanding the Orthodox Jewish family during childbirth

PURPOSE

This educational intervention uses the generalized empirical method (GEM) of Bernard Lonergan for nursing students to gain an understanding of the Orthodox Jewish family during childbirth.

SETTING AND POPULATION

this activity occurred at a baccalaureate, nursing program in the Northeast United States. It consisted of two semesters of 32 undergraduate junior nursing students enrolled in a maternal-newborn nursing course.

FINDINGS

Five themes emerged from students' reflective journaling related to the Orthodox Jewish Laws and traditions included: Laws of Modesty, Laws of Niddah, Laws of Sabbath and Holidays, Laws of Kosher, and Laws of Naming the child and circumcision.

CONCLUSIONS

The GEM facilitated students' understanding and knowledge of cultural traditions of the Orthodox Jewish childbirth experience. Lonergan's GEM provided insights and reflection so students could become culturally competent in providing nursing care.

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.