Parish nursing. Addressing the significance of social support and spirituality for sustained health-promoting behaviors in the elderly.

Literature about the significance of health promotion for the elderly and identification of various determinants of health-promoting activities contains numerous inconsistencies. From a review of nursing and health-related literature over the past decade, it is possible to draw only limited conclusions about the commitment of the elderly to health-promoting behaviors. Despite this, the importance of the roles of social support and spirituality for the empowerment of older adults to practice health-promoting activities is a consistent research finding in this population. Parish nurse programs expand home health and public health provider roles and use the faith community as a cooperative means for sociocultural implementation of successful health promotion. Significance for nursing education, practice, and research is discussed.