TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived Health Needs of Church Leaders and Members
T2 - A Secondary Data Analysis of the Mid-South Congregational Health Survey
AU - West, Nathan T.
AU - Pichon, Latrice C.
AU - Ward, Kenneth D.
AU - Rose N. San Diego, Emily
AU - Ray, Meredith
AU - Rugless, Fedoria
AU - Powell, Terrinieka W.
AU - Campbell, Bettina
AU - Lewis, Jonathan C.
AU - McCann, Lauren
AU - McNeal, Sterling
AU - Harmon, Brook E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Society for Public Health Education.
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Needs assessments have been successful in helping communities and congregations focus their health ministry efforts; however, most have used leader perceptions of congregational health needs. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the self-reported needs of both church leaders and members to be addressed by their congregation. Church leaders (n = 369) and members (n = 459) from 92 congregations completed the 2019 Mid-South Congregational Health Survey. Frequencies and generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were performed to examine the top 10 self-reported needs and associations by church role, respectively. Of the top 10 congregational needs, anxiety or depression, high blood pressure, stress, and healthy foods were ranked identically regardless of church role. Church leaders perceived obesity and diabetes to be important congregational health needs, whereas members perceived affordable health care and heart disease to be important congregational health needs. GLMM, controlling for within-church clustering and covariates, revealed church leaders were more likely than members to report obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.39, 2.67], p <.0001) and diabetes (OR: 1.73, 95% CI = [1.24, 2.41], p =.001) as congregational needs. Findings display similarities and differences in needs reported by church role. Including many perspectives when conducting congregational health needs assessments will assist the development of effective faith-based health promotion programs.
AB - Needs assessments have been successful in helping communities and congregations focus their health ministry efforts; however, most have used leader perceptions of congregational health needs. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the self-reported needs of both church leaders and members to be addressed by their congregation. Church leaders (n = 369) and members (n = 459) from 92 congregations completed the 2019 Mid-South Congregational Health Survey. Frequencies and generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were performed to examine the top 10 self-reported needs and associations by church role, respectively. Of the top 10 congregational needs, anxiety or depression, high blood pressure, stress, and healthy foods were ranked identically regardless of church role. Church leaders perceived obesity and diabetes to be important congregational health needs, whereas members perceived affordable health care and heart disease to be important congregational health needs. GLMM, controlling for within-church clustering and covariates, revealed church leaders were more likely than members to report obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.39, 2.67], p <.0001) and diabetes (OR: 1.73, 95% CI = [1.24, 2.41], p =.001) as congregational needs. Findings display similarities and differences in needs reported by church role. Including many perspectives when conducting congregational health needs assessments will assist the development of effective faith-based health promotion programs.
KW - community-based participatory research
KW - congregational health assessment
KW - faith leaders
KW - faith-based health promotion
KW - faith-based organizations
KW - needs assessments
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U2 - 10.1177/15248399231160158
DO - 10.1177/15248399231160158
M3 - Article
C2 - 36919279
AN - SCOPUS:85150932862
SN - 1524-8399
VL - 25
SP - 96
EP - 104
JO - Health promotion practice
JF - Health promotion practice
IS - 1
ER -