A faith-based mind–body intervention to improve psychosocial well-being among rural adults

Author:

Mama Scherezade K12ORCID,Bhuiyan Nishat1,Bopp Melissa J1,McNeill Lorna H3,Lengerich Eugene J24,Smyth Joshua M56

Affiliation:

1. Department of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

2. Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, PA, USA

3. Department of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

4. Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA

5. Department of Biobehavioral Health, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

6. Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA

Abstract

Abstract Churches are well positioned to promote better mental health outcomes in underserved populations, including rural adults. Mind–body (MB) practices improve psychological well-being yet are not widely adopted among faith-based groups due to conflicting religious or practice beliefs. Thus, “Harmony & Health” (HH) was developed as a culturally adapted MB intervention to improve psychosocial health in urban churchgoers and was adapted and implemented in a rural church. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of HH to reduce psychosocial distress in rural churchgoers. HH capitalized on an existing church partnership to recruit overweight or obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥25.0 kg/m2) and insufficiently active adults (≥18 years old). Eligible adults participated in an 8 week MB intervention and completed self-reported measures of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and positive and negative affect at baseline and postintervention. Participants (mean [M] age = 49.1 ± 14.0 years) were mostly women (84.8%), non-Hispanic white (47.8%) or African American (45.7%), high socioeconomic status (65.2% completed ≥bachelor degree and 37.2% reported an annual household income ≥$80,000), and obese (M BMI = 32.6 ± 5.8 kg/m2). Participants reported lower perceived stress (t = −2.399, p = .022), fewer depressive symptoms (t = −3.547, p = .001), and lower negative affect (t = −2.440, p = .020) at postintervention. Findings suggest that HH was feasible, acceptable, and effective at reducing psychosocial distress in rural churchgoers in the short-term. HH reflects an innovative approach to intertwining spirituality and MB practices to improve physical and psychological health in rural adults, and findings lend to our understanding of community-based approaches to improve mental health outcomes in underserved populations.

Funder

Penn State Cancer Institute

National Cancer Institute

American Cancer Society

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

National Institutes of Health

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Behavioral Neuroscience,Applied Psychology

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