The Relationship Between Religiosity And Health-Promoting Behaviors Of Pregnant Women At Pregnancy Resource Centers

Introduction: While religiosity (e.g. prayer, attending church) has been reported to be related to health behaviors in pregnant women, whether religiosity was related to health-promoting behaviors in pregnant women at Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC) had not been previously studied. The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between religiosity and health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women at PRC. PRC are Christian community-based centers with a focus on meeting needs of pregnant women. Methods: Pender’s Health Promotion Model guided this descriptive correlational study. A consecutive sample included pregnant women who knew they were pregnant at least two months, could read/write English, and visited PRC in eastern Pennsylvania. Pregnant women completed a self-report survey that examined religiosity, demographics, pregnancy-related variables, services received at PRC, and health-promoting behaviors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized to determine factors related to health-promoting behaviors and whether religiosity explained any variance above and beyond what was explained by other significant variables. Results: Pregnant women at PRC reported they “sometimes” or “often” engaged in health-promoting behaviors (M = 2.73, SD = .45). Pregnant women of Hispanic ethnicity reported fewer health-promoting behaviors than non-Hispanic pregnant women (t (84) = 2.13, p \u3c .036). Pregnant women who attended classes at PRC reported more frequent health-promoting behaviors than those who did not attend classes (t (84) = -2.14, p = .035). Pregnancy intention was not significantly related to health-promoting behaviors. In separate multiple linear regressions, organized religiosity, intrinsic religiosity (β’s = .21), non-organized religiosity, and satisfaction with surrender to God (β’s = .23) were significant predictors and explained additional variance in health-promoting behaviors above and beyond what Hispanic ethnicity and attending classes at the PRC explained in pregnant women at PRC (p \u3c .05). Implications: While there are variations in levels of religiosity of the pregnant women who attend PRC, higher levels of religiosity did have a significant relationship with more frequent health-promoting behaviors in this sample of pregnant women. Collaboration within public and private organizations, including PRC, to provide holistic care for pregnant women could offer a valuable approach to care of pregnant women, including some women who report unintended pregnancies

Identifying as Religious and Strength of Religious Commitment Predict Substance Use Rates, but Type of Religion Does Not

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Church Attendance and Intrinsic Religiosity Predict a Lower Likelihood of Hypertension in 18 to 60 Year Olds

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

The Relationship Between Religiosity and Health-Promoting Behaviors in Pregnant Women

Pender’s health promotion model guided this descriptive/correlational study exploring the relationship between religiosity and health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women at Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs). A consecutive sample included women who knew they were pregnant at least 2 months, could read/write English, and visited PRCs in eastern Pennsylvania. Participants completed self-report surveys that examined religiosity, demographics, pregnancy-related variables, services received at PRCs, and health-promoting behaviors. Women reported they “sometimes” or “often” engaged in health-promoting behaviors, Hispanic women reported fewer health-promoting behaviors than non-Hispanic women, and women who attended classes at the centers reported more frequent health-promoting behaviors than those who did not attend classes. In separate multiple linear regressions, organized, non-organized, and intrinsic religiosity and satisfaction with surrender to God explained additional variance in health-promoting behaviors above and beyond what Hispanic ethnicity and attending classes at the PRCs explained in pregnant women at PRCs

The Relationship between Religiosity and Health-Promoting Behaviors in Pregnant Women at Pregnancy Resource Centers

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: Development of a Trauma Informed Workforce

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Initial Validation and Findings From the Willing/Ready Subscale of the Church Addiction Response Scale

Addiction has been a global health crisis over recent decades and worsened substantially during COVID-19 lockdowns. We report on the development, validation, and findings from an instrument developed to assess the readiness of churches in the Appalachian Highlands to address addiction. The Church Addiction Response Scale (CARS) is a 41-item, three section measure assessing “What are your views about addiction?” (14 items), “What are your views about interacting with people who are addicted to drugs?” (11 items), and “What do you think the church’s role is in addressing addiction?” (16 items). The CARS was found to be unidimensional with strong internal consistency and initial evidence of construct validity was positive. Most respondents reported willingness to assist people living with addiction, but many reported that they felt underprepared, thus were not ready. Areas of preparation were largely those that could be addressed through training, such as understanding the physiology and psychology of addiction, available treatment options, and how to avoid doing harm. Thus, with adequate training, the likelihood of equipping a church-based workforce to provide support for people living with addiction seems attainable

Caring for Foster Children in the Hospital Setting

Children who are in the foster care system have already faced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) placing them at greater risk for chronic health problems as well as a greater likelihood of experiencing traumatic medical stress. Additional challenges exist for children who are in the foster care system and are hospitalized. Biological and foster parents may not be available to support the child during their hospitalization. Procedures may trigger traumatic stress responses from child abuse or neglect. Pediatric nurses are in a unique position to support children in foster care during hospitalizations. Trauma informed care principles provide a guide for empathetic, family-centered nursing care. However, natural supports for children in foster care are often not available requiring nurses to collaborate in multidisciplinary approaches

Religious Surrender and Attendance Satisfaction Scale: Validation of an Instrument for Healthcare Practice and Research

Many instruments have been developed to determine whether someone claims to be religious, but they do not address the degree to which someone is satisfied with their religious commitment. Therefore, an instrument was revised to measure both a person’s level of religious commitment and satisfaction with that level of religious commitment. The instrument was named the Religious Surrender and Attendance Satisfaction Scale (RSASS). This study was conducted to determine initial validity for the satisfaction portion of the RSASS. Construct validity measures provided initial confirmation of the utility of RSASS as a measure of satisfaction with religious commitment that can be used by nurses in practice and research