title: Spiritual and religious beliefs and practices and social support's relationship to diabetes self-care activities in African Americans.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among spiritual and religious beliefs and practices, social support, and diabetes self-care activities in African Americans with type 2 diabetes, hypothesizing that there would be a positive association.
  
  
  
  This cohort study used a cross-sectional design that focused on baseline data from a larger randomized control trial. Diabetes self-care activities (summary of diabetes self-care activities) and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed, in addition to spiritual and religious beliefs and practices and social support based on the systems of belief inventory subscales I (beliefs and practices) and II (social support).
  
  
  
  There were 132 participants: most were women, middle-aged, obese, single, high school educated, and not employed. Based on Pearson correlation matrices, there were significant relationships between spiritual and religious beliefs and practices and general diet. Additional significant relationships were found for social support with general diet, specific diet, and foot care. Based on multiple linear regression, social support was a significant predictor for general diet, specific diet, and foot care. Sex was a significant predictor for specific diet, and income was a significant predictor for blood glucose testing.
  
  
  
  The findings of this study highlight the importance of spiritual and religious beliefs and practices and social support in diabetes self-care activities. Future research should focus on determining how providers integrate patients' beliefs and practices and social support into clinical practice and include those in behavior change interventions.
authors: The Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois (Dr Watkins), (The research was performed when Dr Watkins was affiliated with the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.)
authors: Yashika J
authors: YJ
authors: Watkins
authors: The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Drs L. T. Quinn, Ruggiero, Choi)
authors: Lauretta T
authors: LT
authors: Quinn
authors: The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Drs L. T. Quinn, Ruggiero, Choi)
authors: Laurie
authors: L
authors: Ruggiero
authors: The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Dr M. T. Quinn).
authors: Michael T
authors: MT
authors: Quinn
authors: The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Drs L. T. Quinn, Ruggiero, Choi)
authors: Young-Ku
authors: YK
authors: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D012067:Religion; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012648:Self Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human