Is church attendance associated with Latinas' health practices and self-reported health?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate (a) the relation between frequency of church attendance, self-rated health, and health behaviors controlling for potential confounders and (b) the influence of acculturation on church attendance and health behaviors.


METHODS
Physical activity and dietary patterns, demographics, and acculturation levels were compared among Latinas who attended church frequently, infrequently, and not at all.


RESULTS
Church attendance was independently and positively associated with healthier dietary and physical activity behaviors, but not with self-rated health. Acculturation attenuated the relation between physical activity and church attendance.


CONCLUSIONS
Latinas' health behaviors and self-rated health may be related to other variables that explain the salutary effects of church attendance.
Arredondo
Elva M
EM
Division of Health Promotion, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, San Diego, CA 92123, USA. earredondo@projects.sdsu.edu
Elder
John P
JP
Ayala
Guadalupe X
GX
Campbell
Nadia R
NR
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D012647:Self-Assessment