OBJECTIVE: This study describes the prevalence and patterns of use of religion and spirituality for health reasons among African-American women. METHODS: Respondents were asked about their use of religion/spirituality for health reasons as part of a larger study of the prevalence and correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among women. In 2001, a national survey of 3,172 women, aged 18 and older, was conducted in 4 languages, with over-sampling among African-, Mexican-, and Chinese-American participants. This paper focuses on the sub-sample of 812 African-American women. RESULTS: Overall, 43% of the African-American women reported using religion/spirituality for health reasons in the past year. Factors significantly associated with the use of religion/spirituality for health reasons included having an income of dollar 40,000-dollar 60,000, an education level of college graduate or more, or being 37-56 years of age; worse health status approached significance. African-American women utilized religion and spirituality most often for serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and depression. African-American women who had used religion/spirituality in the past year for health reasons were more than twice as likely to have used some form of CAM, and also more likely to have seen a medical doctor during the year prior to the interview, compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Religion and spirituality are associated with health-seeking behaviors of African-American women. The use of religion and spirituality for health reasons warrants additional research, particularly its use for chronic and serious conditions, and its role in the health-seeking behavior of African-American women in conjunction with the utilization of conventional medicine and CAM.
OBJECTIVE: This study describes the prevalence and patterns of use of religion and spirituality for health reasons among African-American women. METHODS: Respondents were asked about their use of religion/spirituality for health reasons as part of a larger study of the prevalence and correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among women. In 2001, a national survey of 3,172 women, aged 18 and older, was conducted in 4 languages, with over-sampling among African-, Mexican-, and Chinese-American participants. This paper focuses on the sub-sample of 812 African-American women. RESULTS: Overall, 43% of the African-American women reported using religion/spirituality for health reasons in the past year. Factors significantly associated with the use of religion/spirituality for health reasons included having an income of dollar 40,000-dollar 60,000, an education level of college graduate or more, or being 37-56 years of age; worse health status approached significance. African-American women utilized religion and spirituality most often for serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and depression. African-American women who had used religion/spirituality in the past year for health reasons were more than twice as likely to have used some form of CAM, and also more likely to have seen a medical doctor during the year prior to the interview, compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Religion and spirituality are associated with health-seeking behaviors of African-American women. The use of religion and spirituality for health reasons warrants additional research, particularly its use for chronic and serious conditions, and its role in the health-seeking behavior of African-American women in conjunction with the utilization of conventional medicine and CAM.
Authors: Robert E Graham; Andrew C Ahn; Roger B Davis; Bonnie B O'Connor; David M Eisenberg; Russell S Phillips Journal: J Natl Med Assoc Date: 2005-04 Impact factor: 1.798
Authors: Fredi Kronenberg; Linda F Cushman; Christine M Wade; Debra Kalmuss; Maria T Chao Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2006-05-30 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Patricia G Moorman; Nadine J Barrett; Frances Wang; J Anthony Alberg; Elisa V Bandera; J B Barnholtz-Sloan; Melissa Bondy; Michele L Cote; Ellen Funkhouser; Linda E Kelemen; Lauren C Peres; Edwards S Peters; A G Schwartz; Paul D Terry; Sydnee Crankshaw; Sarah E Abbott; Joellen M Schildkraut Journal: J Womens Health (Larchmt) Date: 2018-11-27 Impact factor: 2.681