Journal
JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE
Volume 35, Issue 2, Pages 179-189Publisher
SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
DOI: 10.1007/s10865-011-9338-4
Keywords
Religious support; Social support; Health behavior; African American
Categories
Funding
- NCI NIH HHS [R01 CA154419, R01 CA105202-03, R01 CA105202] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States and have significant behavioral origins. African Americans suffer a disproportionate burden of chronic disease relative to other US racial/ethnic groups. Previous research supports an association between both general and religious social support and health behaviors that impact the risk of chronic disease. The present study examined the relative contributions of these constructs to a variety of health behaviors in a national probability sample of African American men and women (N = 2,370). A telephone interview assessing fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and current cigarette use was completed by participants. Results showed that several dimensions of religious social support predicted fruit and vegetable consumption, moderate physical activity, and alcohol use over and above the role of general social support. Findings highlight the unique role of religious support in this population in the context of health behaviors. Implications for health promotion interventions are discussed.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available