American African women and smoking: spiritual well-being makes a difference.

This study examined relationships among spiritual well-being (SWB), perceived stress, coping, and smoking in African American (AA) women. Significant relationships were found among participants related to SWB, regardless of smoking status. SWB may provide a protective property against stress and the desire to smoke. Results support inclusion of SWB into health and smoking education, support of the AA faith community, and the use of SWB as a component of the healthcare decision-making process.