Nutrition and Health Care Management, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA.
School of Public Health, 5415University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Am J Health Promot. 2021 Mar;35(3):399-408. doi: 10.1177/0890117120960574. Epub 2020 Sep 28.
Clergy have influence on the health of congregations and communities yet struggle with health behaviors. Interventions tailored to their occupation-specific demands and unique needs may provide a solution. Qualitative methods were used to identify opportunities and resources for the development of an effective obesity-related program for clergy.
Ninety-minute focus groups were held with clergy (3 groups) and spouses (3 separate groups). Discussion explored: Program target(s); Opportunities and barriers that influence diet, physical activity, and stress-reduction practices; Empowering and culturally relevant health promotion strategies.
All study activities took place in Memphis, TN.
Eighteen clergy and fourteen spouses participated. All clergy were male, all spouses were female.
Previous research with clergy informed the interview guide and the PEN-3 framework aided in organizing the coding of clergy and spouse focus groups. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcripts analyzed using NVivo® 12.
Themes included: 1) Intervention targets-clergy, spouses, congregations; 2) Opportunities and barriers-making time, establishing boundaries, church traditions, individuals who support and hinder behavior change; 3) Intervention strategies-tools for healthy eating, goal setting, camaraderie, combining face-to-face with eHealth modalities.
The relationship between clergy, spouse, and congregation make it important for obesity-related programs to target the unique needs of both clergy and spouses. Strategies should focus on healthy eating and personal connections no matter the modality used.
神职人员对会众和社区的健康有影响，但他们自身的健康行为却存在问题。针对他们职业特殊需求和独特需求而量身定制的干预措施可能是一个解决方案。本研究采用定性方法，旨在确定为神职人员开发有效的肥胖相关项目的机会和资源。
与神职人员（3 组）及其配偶（3 组）进行了 90 分钟的焦点小组讨论。讨论内容包括：项目目标；影响饮食、体育活动和减压实践的机会和障碍；赋权和具有文化相关性的健康促进策略。
所有研究活动均在田纳西州孟菲斯市进行。
18 名神职人员和 14 名配偶参加了研究。所有神职人员均为男性，所有配偶均为女性。
主题包括：1）干预目标-神职人员、配偶、会众；2）机会和障碍-腾出时间、建立界限、教会传统、支持和阻碍行为改变的个人；3）干预策略-健康饮食工具、设定目标、团队精神、将面对面与电子健康模式相结合。
神职人员、配偶和会众之间的关系使得针对神职人员和配偶的独特需求的肥胖相关项目非常重要。无论采用何种模式，策略都应侧重于健康饮食和人际关系。
