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A Longitudinal Study of Religiosity, Spiritual Health Locus of Control, and Health Behaviors in a National Sample of African Americans

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Abstract

The present longitudinal study examined religious beliefs and behaviors, spiritual health locus of control (SHLOC), and selected health-related behaviors and outcomes in a national sample of 766 African American adults. Participants were interviewed by telephone three times over a 5-year period. Results indicated that stronger religious beliefs and religious behaviors were associated with greater changes in active SHLOC. There was some evidence of direct effects of religious beliefs and behaviors on changes in health behaviors. Religious behaviors were related to greater passive SHLOC over time across some health outcomes. Passive SHLOC was associated with some less desirable health outcomes over time.

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Acknowledgements

The team would like to acknowledge the work of OpinionAmerica and Tina Madison who conducted participant recruitment/retention and data collection activities for the present study.

Funding

This study was funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute, (#1 R01 CA 105202; #1 R01 CA154419) and a grant from the Duke University Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health, through the John Templeton Foundation (#11993). The study was approved by the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (#373528-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, Morrissey Hall, 3700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA

    Eddie M. Clark

  2. UAB Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, CH19 218K, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL, 35294-1304, USA

    Beverly Rosa Williams

  3. Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Jin Huang & David L. Roth

  4. Department of Behavioral and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, 1234W School of Public Health Bldg. (255), 422 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Cheryl L. Holt

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  1. Eddie M. Clark
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  2. Beverly Rosa Williams
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Correspondence to Eddie M. Clark.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments and the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association.

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Clark, E.M., Williams, B.R., Huang, J. et al. A Longitudinal Study of Religiosity, Spiritual Health Locus of Control, and Health Behaviors in a National Sample of African Americans. J Relig Health 57, 2258–2278 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0548-0

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