A National Network of Public Health and Faith-Based Organizations to Increase Influenza Prevention Among Hard-to-Reach Populations.

We studied a national collaboration to prevent the spread of 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza, and highlighted how a partnership among the Interfaith Health Program (IHP) at Emory University, the Department of Health and Human Services Partnership Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) leveraged the distinctive capabilities of local public health, health care, and faith-based organizations in 10 communities around the country. From 2009 to 2016, IHP, ASTHO, and the Partnership Center worked as intermediaries with these partnerships, aligning and amplifying their capacity to extend influenza prevention services for hard-to-reach vulnerable populations. We suggested that intermediary organizations enabled information sharing, co-learning, and dissemination of best practices through horizontal and vertical channels. We recommended practices for these partnerships to engage local networks that share commitments to eliminate health disparities, to use a frame of strengths and assets, and to provide a supportive multilocal, multilevel learning community.

Religion, a social determinant of mortality? A 10-year follow-up of the Health and Retirement Study.

The social determinants of health framework has brought a recognition of the primary importance of social forces in determining population health. Research using this framework to understand the health and mortality impact of social, economic, and political conditions, however, has rarely included religious institutions and ties. We investigate a well-measured set of social and economic determinants along with several measures of religious participation as predictors of adult mortality. Respondents (N = 18,370) aged 50 and older to the Health and Retirement Study were interviewed in 2004 and followed for all-cause mortality to 2014. Exposure variables were religious attendance, importance, and affiliation. Other social determinants of health included gender, race/ethnicity, education, household income, and net worth measured at baseline. Confounders included physical and mental health. Health behaviors and social ties were included as potential explanatory variables. Cox proportional hazards regressions were adjusted for complex sample design. After adjustment for confounders, attendance at religious services had a dose-response relationship with mortality, such that respondents who attended frequently had a 40% lower hazard of mortality (HR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.53-0.68) compared with those who never attended. Those for whom religion was "very important" had a 4% higher hazard (HR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07); religious affiliation was not associated with risk of mortality. Higher income and net worth were associated with a reduced hazard of mortality as were female gender, Latino ethnicity, and native birth. Religious participation is multi-faceted and shows both lower and higher hazards of mortality in an adult US sample in the context of a comprehensive set of other social and economic determinants of health.

Facilitators, challenges, and collaborative activities in faith and health partnerships to address health disparities.

Interest in partnering with faith-based organizations (FBOs) to address health disparities has grown in recent years. Yet relatively little is known about these types of partnerships. As part of an evaluation of the Institute for Faith and Public Health Collaborations, representatives of 34 faith-health teams (n = 61) completed semi-structured interviews. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and coded by two members of the evaluation team to identify themes. Major facilitators to faith-health collaborative work were passion and commitment, importance of FBOs in communities, favorable political climate, support from community and faith leaders, diversity of teams, and mutual trust and respect. Barriers unique to faith and health collaboration included discomfort with FBOs, distrust of either health agencies or FBOs, diversity within faith communities, different agendas, separation of church and state, and the lack of a common language. Findings suggest that faith-health partnerships face unique challenges but are capable of aligning resources to address health disparities.

Evaluation findings from the Institute for Public Health and Faith Collaborations.

OBJECTIVE: The Institute for Public Health and Faith Collaborations sought to cultivate boundary leadership to strengthen collaboration across religious and health sectors to address health disparities. This article presents findings from an evaluation of the Institute and its impact on participating teams of faith and public health leaders. METHODS: . Self-administered surveys were completed by participating team members (n = 243) immediately post-Institute. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with at least one health and one faith leader per team six to eight months after the Institute. RESULTS: Significant self-reported improvement occurred for all short-term outcomes assessed, with the largest increases in describing organizational frames and why they are important for community change, and understanding the role of boundary leaders in community systems change. Six months after the Institute, participants spoke of inspiration, team building, and understanding their own leadership strengths as important outcomes. Leadership growth centered on functioning in groups, making a change in their work, a renewed faith in self, and a renewed focus on applying themselves to faith/health work. Top team accomplishments included planning or implementing a program or event, or solidifying or sustaining a collaborative structure. The majority felt they were moving in the right direction to reduce health disparities, but had not yet made an impact. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the Institute played a role in helping to align faith and health assets in many of the participating teams.