Suchergebnisse

Background
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and Black populations are disproportionately affected. Black populations also have high rates of religiosity, which may be an important health motivator, but mechanisms are unclear.


Objective
We examined the relationship between perceived religious influence on health and cardiovascular health behaviors, risk factors, and confidence participating in medical care in Black church congregants.


Methods
We surveyed 302 members of 13 churches with predominantly Black congregations in New Orleans, Louisiana. Participants reported if religious beliefs had an influence on their health and if they avoided harmful behaviors because of religion. Fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, smoking status, confidence asking questions to health care providers, understanding treatment plans and self-reported hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes were assessed. Logistic regression was used adjusting for age, sex, and education.


Results
Survey respondents were 77% female with a median age of 66 years, and 72%, 56%, and 37% reported hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes, respectively. Perceived religious influence on health was positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and confidence asking questions to health care providers. Avoiding harmful behaviors because of religion was positively associated with physical activity. There was no association between perceived religious influence on health and smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes.


Conclusion
Perceived religious influence on health was associated with beneficial cardiovascular health behaviors and confidence participating in medical care. These findings can inform the design and delivery of interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease among Black religious communities.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in the United States and disproportionately impacts Black adults. Effective implementation of interventions to improve cardiovascular health in the Black community is needed to reduce health inequities. The Church-Based Health Intervention to Eliminate Health Inequalities in Cardiovascular Health (CHERISH) study is implementing interventions recommended by the 2019 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline on the primary prevention of CVD in Black communities to improve cardiovascular health and reduce health disparities. The recently completed 3-year planning phase of CHERISH has focused on engaging with the predominantly Black church community in New Orleans with the goals of informing study protocol development and recruiting churches for study participation. Community engagement approaches include convening a community advisory board (CAB), conducting qualitative and quantitative needs assessments, and hosting and attending church events. These activities have resulted in an engaged CAB that has contributed meaningfully to planning activities and the study protocol. The needs assessment found that while there are substantial barriers to cardiovascular health, such as knowledge, access to healthy foods, and safe spaces for physical activity, people are willing to make lifestyle changes and think that the proposed intervention components are feasible. Community engagement activities have resulted in the recruitment of 50 geographically and denominationally diverse predominantly Black churches willing to participate in the study (exceeding our goal of 42). Overall, a multicomponent approach to extensive community engagement has produced effective church enrollment for study participation and meaningful input on study design and implementation.