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Relationship between religious social support and general social support with health behaviors in a national sample of African Americans

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Abstract

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, 2369 Public Health Building (255), College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Katrina Debnam & Cheryl L. Holt

  2. Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Eddie M. Clark

  3. School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    David L. Roth

  4. Birmingham, AL, USA

    Penny Southward

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  1. Katrina Debnam
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  2. Cheryl L. Holt
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  3. Eddie M. Clark
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  4. David L. Roth
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  5. Penny Southward
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Correspondence to Katrina Debnam.

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Debnam, K., Holt, C.L., Clark, E.M. et al. Relationship between religious social support and general social support with health behaviors in a national sample of African Americans. J Behav Med 35, 179–189 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-011-9338-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-011-9338-4

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