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Although not a new concept, church-based health promotion programs have yet to be widely researched. Few of the initial studies used randomized and controlled designs. Dissemination of study results has been sporadic, with findings often reported in church periodicals. A renewed interest in church-based health promotion programs (CBHPP) is emerging. The purpose of this article is to propose seven key elements found in a literature review to be beneficial in establishing church-based community health promotion programs that demonstrated desired health promotion outcomes. Based on the outcomes of successful CBHPP, the following key elements have been identified: partnerships, positive health values, availability of services, access to church facilities, community-focused interventions, health behavior change, and supportive social relationships. An example of one program that embodies these elements is presented. The Heart and Soul Program, designed to increase physical activity in midlife women to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease with advancing age, is discussed within the context of the elements for successful church-based programs. CBHPP have effectively promoted health behaviors within certain communities. To promote health and wellness in light of our diverse society and health needs, health promotion professionals and churches can be dynamic partners.

Two studies balanced qualitative and quantitative data to provide evidence of satisfactory validity and reliability of the Family Inventory of Needs (FIN). The FIN is designed to measure the importance of care needs of families of advanced cancer patients (FIN-Importance of Care Needs subscale) and the extent to which families perceive that their care needs have been met (FINFulfillment of Care Needs subscale). The first study involved development of the instrument and testing for clarity, apparent internal consistency (nonquantitative assessment of homogeneity of content), and content validity using a panel of six experts (family members of advanced cancer patients). The FIN met or exceeded the preset criteria specified used in this phase of testing. The second study of the project used 109 family members of advanced cancer patients from three hospice programs to test the FIN for internal consistency and construct validity. Internal consistency of the FIN-Importance of Care Needs subscale as measured by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .83 without redundancy. Construct analysis was assessed using factor analysis techniques. An inability to extract a substantively meaningful minimum number of factors, together with the fact that a theta reliability coefficient of .85 was obtained (only .02 higher than the alpha coefficient), suggested that the items were parallel supporting the conclusion that the subscale is unidimensional. Support for the construct validity of the FINImportance of Care Needs subscale was also obtained using predictive modeling. The internal structure of the FIN-Fulfillment of Care Needs subscale was assessed using cluster analysis. Results suggested that the subscale is a unidimensional one. Overall, the FIN met the preset reliability and validity criteria providing promising evidence for the instrument’s sound psychometric properties for use in research and clinical settings.

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WIC mothers are at risk for sedentary living and have not been targeted for PA behavior change using a provider-counseled approach. Although further testing is needed, Moms on the Move appears to be efficacious.