Religion and HIV: A Review of the Literature and Clinical Implications

Pargäment, Kenneth I.; McCarthy, Shauna K.; Shah, Purvi; Ano, Gene G.; Tarakeshwar, Nalini; Wachholtz, Amy; Sirrine, Nicole; Vasconcelles, Erin B.; Murray-Swank, Nichole A.; Locher, Ann; Duggan, Joan

doi:10.1097/01.smj.0000146508.14898.e2

Cited by 102 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…More studies also need to be done to assess how HIV affects religiosity. Some studies have shown that those with HIV report greater use of religion and spirituality when compared with similar HIV-negative individuals 19 . It is also important to find out if different Muslim and Christian thinking affects the relationship between HIV and religiosity.…”

Section: Baseline Sero-behavioral-religiosity Indicators For Muslimsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence-based monitoring and evaluation of the faith-based approach to HIV prevention among Christian and Muslim youth in Wakiso district in Uganda

Kagimu¹,

Kaye²,

Ainomugisha³

et al. 2012

Af Hlth Sci

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Background: The Islamic Medical Association of Uganda, has been implementing the faith-based approach to HIV prevention without baseline data on expected positive outcomes. Objectives: To establish evidence-based baseline data on expected positive outcomes of the faith-based approach to HIV prevention. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 15-24 year-old youths was analyzed for significant associations between HIV infections, risky behaviors, and religiosity. Results: HIV prevalence was 3.6% among Christians and 2.4% among Muslims. Abstaining from sex among teenagers was at 54% for Christians and 58% for Muslims. Being faithful in marriage among males was at 41% for Christians and 34% for Muslims and among females it was 65% for Christians and 69% for Muslims. Praying privately was associated with lower HIV infections and was observed among 60% of Christians. Sujda, the hyperpigmented marker of regular prayers on the forehead of Muslims was associated with lower HIV infections and observed in 42% of them. Ever drank alcohol was associated with higher HIV prevalence and observed in 52% of Christians and 17% of Muslims. Male circumcision rates were 15% for Christians and 98% for Muslims. Conclusion: A sero-behavioral-religiosity survey can provide evidence-based data for monitoring and evaluation of the faith-based approach to HIV prevention.

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Section: Baseline Sero-behavioral-religiosity Indicators For Muslimsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence-based monitoring and evaluation of the faith-based approach to HIV prevention among Christian and Muslim youth in Wakiso district in Uganda

Kagimu¹,

Kaye²,

Ainomugisha³

et al. 2012

Af Hlth Sci

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“…[6][7][8] Many people with HIV/AIDS will seek transcendence over or a greater understanding of these illness-related questions through religious and/or spiritual means, 7,9-11 whereby ''religious means'' typically refer to behaviors such as attendance at religious services or prayer, and ''spiritual means'' typically refer to broader concepts of achieving meaning and purpose in life. 12,13 Such religiousness and/or spirituality would be solely of ethnographic interest if it were not for the fact that high levels of religiousness and spirituality in people with HIV/AIDS have been associated with numerous improved health outcomes, 9,14 and that recent evidence suggests that patients with ''spiritual struggles'' are at risk for poor outcomes. 9 Consequently, knowing more about the changes in religiousness and spirituality that people with HIV/AIDS perceive to be attributable to HIV/AIDS itself may inform efforts to include spiritual assessments in clinical interactions with patients with HIV/AIDS, assessments that not only have clinical implications but also are required for all inpatients by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…12,13 Such religiousness and/or spirituality would be solely of ethnographic interest if it were not for the fact that high levels of religiousness and spirituality in people with HIV/AIDS have been associated with numerous improved health outcomes, 9,14 and that recent evidence suggests that patients with ''spiritual struggles'' are at risk for poor outcomes. 9 Consequently, knowing more about the changes in religiousness and spirituality that people with HIV/AIDS perceive to be attributable to HIV/AIDS itself may inform efforts to include spiritual assessments in clinical interactions with patients with HIV/AIDS, assessments that not only have clinical implications but also are required for all inpatients by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards. 15 Information on spiritual and religious change related to HIV/AIDS could shed light on what types of questions providers of people with HIV/AIDS should ask in meeting these requirements.…”

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confidence: 99%

Changes in religiousness and spirituality attributed to HIV/AIDS

et al. 2006

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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Having a serious illness such as HIV/AIDS raises existential issues, which are potentially manifested as changes in religiousness and spirituality. The objective of this study was (1) to describe changes in religiousness and spirituality of people with HIV/AIDS, and (2) to determine if these changes differed by sex and race. METHODS: Three‐hundred and forty‐seven adults with HIV/AIDS from 4 sites were asked demographic, clinical, and religious/spiritual questions. Six religious/spiritual questions assessed personal and social domains of religiousness and spirituality. RESULTS: Eighty‐eight participants (25%) reported being “more religious” and 142 (41%) reported being “more spiritual” since being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 1 in 4 participants also reported that they felt more alienated by a religious group since their HIV/AIDS diagnosis and approximately 1 in 10 reported changing their place of religious worship because of HIV/AIDS. A total of 174 participants (50%) believed that their religiousness/spirituality helped them live longer. Fewer Caucasians than African Americans reported becoming more spiritual since their HIV/AIDS diagnosis (37% vs 52%, respectively; P<.015), more Caucasians than African Americans felt alienated from religious communities (44% vs 21%, respectively; P<.001), and fewer Caucasians than African Americans believed that their religiousness/spirituality helped them live longer (41% vs 68% respectively; P<.001). There were no significantly different reported changes in religious and spiritual experiences by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Many participants report having become more spiritual or religious since contracting HIV/AIDS, though many have felt alienated by a religious group—some to the point of changing their place of worship. Clinicians conducting spiritual assessments should be aware that changes in religious and spiritual experiences attributed to HIV/AIDS might differ between Caucasian and African Americans.

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“…Pargament 2 has developed a transactional model of spiritual coping, defining spirituality as the search for the sacred, and religiousness as the search for the sacred within a religious denomination. 3 However, due to the moral stigma associated with HIV within many religious institutions, PLWH often consider themselves rather more spiritual than religious.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Spiritual Coping with Trauma in People with HIV: Implications for Health Care

Kremer

Ironson

2014

AIDS Patient Care and STDs

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This 10-year study (N = 177) examines how people with HIV use spirituality to cope with life's trauma on top of HIV-related stress (e.g., facing death, stigma, poverty, limited healthcare) usual events. Spirituality, defined as a connection to a higher presence, is independent from religion (institutionalized spirituality). As a dynamic adaptive process, coping requires longitudinal studying. Qualitative content-analysis of interviews/essays yielded a coding of specific aspects and a longitudinal rating of overall spiritual coping. Most participants were rated as spiritual, using spiritual practices, about half experienced comfort, empowerment, growth/transformation, gratitude, less than one-third meaning, community, and positive reframing. Up to one-fifth perceived spiritual conflict, struggle, or anger, triggering post-traumatic stress, which sometimes converted into positive growth/transformation later. Over time, 65% used spiritual coping positively, 7% negatively, and 28% had no significant use. Spirituality was mainly beneficial for women, heterosexuals, and African Americans ( p < 0.05). Results suggest that spirituality is a major source of positive and occasionally negative coping (e.g., viewing HIV as sin). We discuss how clinicians can recognize and prevent when spirituality is creating distress and barriers to HIV treatment, adding a literature review on ways of effective spiritual assessment. Spirituality may be a beneficial component of coping with trauma, considering socio-cultural contexts.

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Religion and HIV: A Review of the Literature and Clinical Implications

Cited by 102 publications

References 58 publications

Evidence-based monitoring and evaluation of the faith-based approach to HIV prevention among Christian and Muslim youth in Wakiso district in Uganda

Evidence-based monitoring and evaluation of the faith-based approach to HIV prevention among Christian and Muslim youth in Wakiso district in Uganda

Changes in religiousness and spirituality attributed to HIV/AIDS

Longitudinal Spiritual Coping with Trauma in People with HIV: Implications for Health Care

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