FACTOR STRUCTURE OF RELIGIOUS PROBLEM – COPING STYLES IN AN AFRICAN SAMPLE

The Role of Parents' Medication Beliefs, Religious Problem-Solving, and Risks for Treatment Nonadherence in Urban Families with Asthma

Childhood asthma is highly prevalent, affecting approximately nine million children in the United States. Negative effects of pediatric asthma are disproportionately experienced by ethnic minorities living in low-income, urban settings. Given the great diversity in families' ways of addressing children's asthma symptoms, sociocultural factors underlying asthma disparities must be examined. The current study investigated associations among parents' beliefs about conventional and holistic/alternative medications, parents' religious problem-solving strategies and childrens' risks for asthma treatment nonadherence. The sample included 66 parents of ethnically diverse children with asthma living in urban settings. Factor analysis of the Religious Problem Solving Questionnaire yielded two factors, self-directed (ie, solving problems independently of God) and God-involved problem solving. Parents' strong positive beliefs about conventional and alternative medications were associated with greater self-directed problem solving and with more risks for nonadherence. Higher levels of self-directed problem solving also were associated with more risks for nonadherence. Self-directed problem solving mediated the associations of conventional and alternative medication beliefs with risks for nonadherence. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

RELIGIOSITY, PERSONAL DISTRESS AND MINOR PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY AMONG BLACK STUDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

The aim of the study was to examine the proposition that religiosity and the related factor, spirituality, contribute to lower personal distress among students. The sample comprised 624 students: 314 Grade 12 secondary school students and 310 third-year social science university students in South Africa. Results indicate that the majority of the students show a high degree of religious belief and religious involvement. Some religious variables – such as being a born-again Christian and considering religion as important – were associated with decreased Perceived Stress. Minor psychiatric morbidity as measured with the Self-reporting Questionnaire (SRQ; WHO, 1994) was positively associated with some religious beliefs and involvement, while meaning and direction in life was inversely associated with the SRQ score. All three religious coping styles were inversely associated with perceived stress. Contrary to expectations it was found that some of the religious coping styles were positively associated with minor psychiatric morbidity, especially the depression scores of the SRQ. Findings show that some religious variables were positively associated with mental health while others were inversely or not related, thus only partially supporting the religion-mental health link.