Religion, sociodemographic and personal characteristics, and self-reported health in whites, blacks, and Hispanics living in low-socioeconomic status neighborhoods.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the multifaceted role of race/ethnicity in the relationship between religiosity and health.


METHODS
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparisons were used to compare the means for health, religiosity, and personal characteristics in Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics. A simultaneous-equation model with five equations modeled the relationship between physical health, mental health, self-rated health, organizational religiosity, and non-organizational religiosity. Qualitative data were used to help interpret quantitative results.


RESULTS
Health outcomes, religiosity, reasons cited for being a member of a religious organization, and personal factors differed by race/ethnicity. Overall, individuals with more social resources tend to have higher organizational religiosity and better health, while individuals with fewer social resources tend to have higher non-organizational religiosity and poorer health. The model indicates the complexity of the relationships between race/ethnicity, religiosity, and health. Blacks reported higher organizational and non-organizational religiosity than Whites, while Hispanics reported higher non-organizational religiosity, after controlling for sociodemographic and personal factors and reasons cited for belonging to a religious organization. Being Black was directly associated with lower mental health and self-rated health; however, being Black was indirectly positively associated with mental health through organized religiosity and indirectly negatively associated with physical and mental health through non-organizational religiosity. Being Hispanic was directly associated with worse self-rated health but was indirectly positively associated with mental health through organizational religiosity.


CONCLUSIONS
The role of race/ethnicity in the relationship between religiosity and health is complex, but the findings presented in this paper offer insights into the nature of these associations.
Franzini
Luisa
L
University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Luisa.Franzini@uth.tmc.edu
Ribble
John C
JC
Wingfield
Katherine A
KA
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009042:Motivation; D012067:Religion; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data