Exploring Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Practices Among African Americans in Rural Counties: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand diabetes self-management practices among African American individuals living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in rural communities.

Methods: This qualitative descriptive study, undergirded by the theory of integration, purposively sampled African Americans (N = 34) diagnosed with T2D living in rural communities. Thematic analysis employed both a priori and inductive coding to identify salient themes.

Social Media Usage as a Form of Breastfeeding Support Among Black Mothers: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Social support has been identified in the literature as a key facilitator of breastfeeding success among Black mothers. Over the past decade, there has been a surge of social media groups that can now be used as a means of support for various health and social issues. Social media breastfeeding groups have been used as sources of additional support.

Exploration of how emotional social support predicts food insecurity among college students.

Food insecurity has broad detrimental impacts on college students, including failing grades, depression, and social disconnection. Social disconnection is concerning as students often use various support resources to manage food insecurity. Racial disparities in food insecurity are well documented in the literature.

Recovering from an Epidemic of Teen Pregnancy: The Role of Rural Faith Leaders in Building Community Resilience.

This study explores the role of faith leaders and congregations in preventing teen pregnancy and enhancing overall health. Seventeen faith-based leaders responded to an invitation to participate. Participants were recruited from two counties within Oklahoma, based on desired community characteristics.

"What Should Sex Look Like?" Students' Desires for Expanding University Sexual Assault Prevention Programs to Include Comprehensive Sex Education.

Rates of sexual assault and sexual violence among college-aged adults are much higher than the national rates of sexual assault and sexual violence. Therefore, reduction and prevention of sexual violence among university students is critical and is consistent with national public health priorities. Often times, messages to students focus only on sexual assault and omit larger notions of sexual health.

Impact of Work Schedule, Race, and Psychological Distress among Impoverished Mothers.

We tested the relationships among work schedule, race, and psychological distress in impoverished working mothers. Baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study of impoverished mothers (N = 285) were analyzed. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was utilized to measure levels of psychological distress.

Evaluation of the Southern Harm Reduction Coalition for HIV Prevention: Advocacy Accomplishments.

Background: HIV/AIDS rates are higher in the Southern United States compared to other regions of the country. Reasons for disparities include poverty, health care access, and racism. People who inject drugs (PWID) account for 8% of HIV/AIDS incidence rates.

Changes in social support over time in a faith-based physical activity intervention.

African-American women report higher levels of chronic conditions and church attendance relative to the overall US population. Therefore, efforts have increased over the past decade to design church-based health promotion programs. The present study compared changes in religiosity, religious social support and general social support across time within a church-based physical activity study.

"As a Community, We Need to be More Health Conscious": Pastors' Perceptions on the Health Status of the Black Church and African-American Communities.

Background: Churches are recognized for their potential capacity to provide health services and interventions to address health disparities in African-Americans (blacks). Since pastors are central community leaders, their support and involvement can influence both implementation and outcomes for church-based health programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore pastors' perceptions of congregant health status within the black church.

Pastoral perceptions of the learning and developing individual exercise skills (L.A.D.I.E.S.) intervention: a qualitative study.

African-American women experience higher rates of obesity compared to other racial/ethnic groups. High levels of reported church attendance among African-Americans have led to the proliferation of faith-based health programs. Pastors can influence success for faith-based programs.

Exploring the Relationship of Religiosity, Religious Support, and Social Support Among African American Women in a Physical Activity Intervention Program.

Religious belief has been linked to a variety of positive mental and physical health outcomes. This exploratory study will address the relationship between religious involvement and social connectedness among African American women. Results from a physical activity intervention research project (N = 465) found that total religious support and social support were significantly negatively correlated with total religiosity, while total general social support was significantly positively correlated with total religious support.