Lindholm Greg, Johnston Judy, Dong Frank, Moore Kim, Ablah Elizabeth
Preventive Medicine Center-McPherson, 421 N. Main, McPherson, KS, 67460, USA.
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS, 67214, USA.
J Relig Health. 2016 Feb;55(1):97-109. doi: 10.1007/s10943-014-9976-2.
This study sought to obtain a better understanding of how clergy view their health and to investigate their self-reported health status. Additionally, this study sought to explore personal and professional barriers among clergy to living a healthier life. An electronic 32-item survey was sent to all practicing clergy in Kansas East and West conferences of United Methodist church by the Kansas Area Office of the United Methodist Church. Survey items included participants' demographic information and health conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol). The self-reported general health, mental health, and physical health data were also collected to compare to the general population in Kansas. Clergy were also asked to identify perceived barriers to health. A total of 150 clergy participated in the survey. The majority (93.7 %) self-reported their health as good, very good, or excellent. Participating clergy self-reported a higher prevalence of chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol) than the Kansas general population, but those differences were not statistically significant. More than three-fourths (77.4 %) of the participating clergy reported weights and heights that classified them as either overweight or obese. Lack of family time was the most frequently reported personal barrier to achieving a healthier lifestyle. An unpredictable work schedule was reported as the most frequent professional barrier to achieving a healthier lifestyle. This study suggests that Kansas clergy generally view their overall health status favorably despite being overweight or obese. Clergy also self-reported higher prevalence of chronic diseases than the general Kansas population, though the prevalence was not statistically different. This study provides additional insight into clergy health and offers suggestions to address the barriers preventing clergy from working toward better health.
本研究旨在更好地了解神职人员如何看待自己的健康状况，并调查他们自我报告的健康状况。此外，本研究还试图探索神职人员在追求更健康生活方面的个人和职业障碍。美国卫理公会堪萨斯地区办公室向美国卫理公会堪萨斯东、西会议的所有在职神职人员发送了一份包含32个项目的电子调查问卷。调查项目包括参与者的人口统计学信息和健康状况（如糖尿病、心脏病、高血压、高胆固醇）。还收集了自我报告的总体健康、心理健康和身体健康数据，以便与堪萨斯州的普通人群进行比较。神职人员还被要求指出他们认为的健康障碍。共有150名神职人员参与了调查。大多数（93.7%）自我报告他们的健康状况为良好、非常好或优秀。参与调查的神职人员自我报告的慢性病（糖尿病、心脏病、高血压和高胆固醇）患病率高于堪萨斯州的普通人群，但这些差异无统计学意义。超过四分之三（77.4%）的参与调查的神职人员报告称，他们的体重和身高将他们归类为超重或肥胖。缺乏家庭时间是实现更健康生活方式最常被报告的个人障碍。不可预测的工作时间表被报告为实现更健康生活方式最常见的职业障碍。本研究表明，尽管堪萨斯州的神职人员超重或肥胖，但他们总体上对自己的健康状况评价良好。神职人员自我报告的慢性病患病率也高于堪萨斯州的普通人群，尽管患病率没有统计学差异。本研究为神职人员的健康状况提供了更多见解，并就解决阻碍神职人员追求更好健康的障碍提出了建议。
