Religious involvement and physical and emotional functioning among African Americans: the mediating role of religious support.

OBJECTIVES

Religious social support may in part account for the relationship between religious involvement and health-related outcomes. African Americans, on average, tend to have relatively high levels of religious involvement, and suffer a higher burden of health conditions than other groups. This study aimed to examine whether religious social support played a mediating role between religious involvement and physical and emotional functioning, and depressive symptoms.

DESIGN

The study used a cross sectional telephone survey among a national probability sample of African Americans (n = 803). Study participants completed telephone interviews and data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Physical and emotional functioning and depressive symptoms served as study outcomes.

RESULTS

In both the emotional functioning and depressive symptoms models, the indirect effect test from religious behaviours to emotional religious support indicated evidence for mediation. There was no mediation for the physical functioning model.

CONCLUSION

Implications for faith-based health promotion interventions are discussed.