Development of an Academic-Faith Community Partnership for Health

• In Event: 341 - Section on Sociology of Religion Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 03. Religion and Health

Abstract

Academic-faith community partnerships can be strategic tools for addressing health disparities, a top American health policy objective. To be effectively implemented according to principles of community engagement and coalition-building for health, it is necessary to identify opportunities and barriers at both the clergy and congregational levels. Understanding key stakeholders’ perspectives on health partnerships, especially those of clergy, is essential. We employ in-depth interviews with faith leaders as part of a larger qualitative, grounded theory based study about health in congregations. Thirty faith leaders (63.3% African American) in Jefferson County, Alabama were asked about interest in collaborative partnerships, engagement with researchers to develop health strategies, and how researchers may contribute to congregational health programming. Qualitative data were analyzed using line-by-line and focused coding strategies with constant comparison method in accordance with grounded theory principles. Most participants express interest in discussing health with other clergy and health researchers and share a willingness to work with researchers to obtain information and resources for their congregations. Participants emphasize the value of developing equitable, sustainable relationships that are based on trust for the purpose of sharing information, expertise, and developing effective health initiatives for their congregations. We will also report on an upcoming brainstorming session that is designed to identify common goals and strategies for the development of an academic-faith community partnership.

Authors

• Anthony David Campbell, University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Magdalena Szaflarski, University of Alabama at Birmingham