Enhancing the role of faith-based organizations to improve health: a commentary

Abstract

Researchers, policymakers, and community members increasingly recognize the potential to leverage faithbased organizations (FBOs) to improve health. This commentary complements Leyva and colleagues' article on whether and how members of FBOs view such a role. The commentary draws on our 13+ years operating a faithbased and community-based research organization, Faith Moves Mountains, in the Appalachian context. Issues to be addressed in the further development of faith-based health promotion include sustainability; adherence to the evidence-based operations of interventions, training, and privacy and protection protocols; and understanding the changing landscape of American public life.

State health disparities research in Rural America: Gaps and future directions in an era of COVID‐19

“…In July 2018, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), together with its National Institutes of Health (NIH) cosponsors and in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Office of the Surgeon General), convened a workshop on the “State of Rural Health Disparities: Research Gaps and Recommendations.” The workshop gathered public health leaders in order to examine current research findings on rural health disparities 11–31 . It also provided an opportunity for scientists from diverse disciplines, community‐based interventionists, and clinicians to come together to catalyze and shape the future research agenda for this often‐overlooked critical area.…”

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“…Hospitals are centralized and familiar to many residents and may provide the initial investment (of time, money, and space) necessary to eventually implement a decentralized model to improve access to fresh and local food. Potential partners for hub-and-spoke activities may include primary care clinics, who serve as natural partners in preventive medicine, and also churches, which are often the site of both information-and food-sharing (Schoenberg, 2017;Schoenberg & Swanson, 2017). Logistically, a decentralized model may be more complex, but it would further improve consumer access to seasonal produce.…”

Planning for Community Scale-Up of Project HEAL: Insights From the SPRINT Initiative

“…Project HEAL (Health through Early Awareness and Learning) is an evidence-based intervention (EBI) aimed at increasing cancer awareness and cancer screening behaviors working through African American faithbased organizations (Holt et al, 2014). African American faith-based organizations are widely recognized as an influential venue for implementing health promotion efforts (Schoenberg, 2017), particularly in underserved communities (Campbell et al, 2007). Project HEAL was developed with extensive community engagement and proven to be efficacious with supporting data from previous trials (Holt et al, 2009;Holt et al, 2013;Holt & Klem, 2005).…”