Religiosity and Excess Weight Among African-American Adolescents: The Jackson Heart KIDS Study

Recent studies suggest that religion and spirituality can yield health benefits for young African-Americans. We examined the relationship between religious practices, spirituality, and excess weight among African-American adolescents (N=212) residing in the Deep South. Results from modified Poisson...

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Published inJournal of religion and health Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 223 - 233
Main Authors Bruce, Marino A., Beech, Bettina M., Wilder, Tanganyika, Burton, E. Thomaseo, Sheats, Jylana L., Norris, Keith C., Thorpe, Roland J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Springer 01.02.2020
Springer US
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Adolescent
Adolescents
African Americans
African Americans - psychology
Aging
Body Weight
Child
Children
Clinical Psychology
Female
Health risk assessment
Health Status Disparities
Humans
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mississippi - epidemiology
Original Paper
Pediatric Obesity - ethnology
Pediatric Obesity - psychology
Pilot Projects
Population Health
Prevalence
Public Health
Religion
Religiosity
Religious beliefs
Religious discrimination
Religious identity
Religious Studies
Spirituality
Teenagers
Mississippi
Religion
Spirituality
Pediatric obesity
Health disparities
Population health
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Summary:Recent studies suggest that religion and spirituality can yield health benefits for young African-Americans. We examined the relationship between religious practices, spirituality, and excess weight among African-American adolescents (N=212) residing in the Deep South. Results from modified Poisson regression analysis indicate that adolescents who prayed daily had a lower prevalence of excess weight (PR 0.77 [95% CI 0.62-0.96]) than those who did not. This relationship was only significant for 12-15 year-old participants in age-stratified analysis. These findings suggest that preventive interventions offered to children and younger adolescents can have implications for weight status across the lifespan.
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Autobiographical Note: Marino A. Bruce, PhD, MSRC, MDiv is Associate Director of the Center for Research on Men’s Health and a Research Associate Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University. He is a social and behavioral scientist who has been funded by federal and state agencies to examine the full range of health determinants for African Americans and their risk factors for chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Bruce’s graduate training in Rehabilitation Counseling and Divinity undergirds his current program of research exploring the intersection of social, psychological, spiritual, and behavioral factors impacting the health of African American boys, adolescents and emerging adults. His work leverages the strengths of research-, community-, and faith-based approaches to improve the health of disadvantaged populations. Dr. Bruce has published in leading health science journals and some of his most recent work has been featured in global media outlets such as USA Today, The Today Show, and Time Magazine.
ISSN:0022-4197
1573-6571
DOI:10.1007/s10943-019-00762-5