Results of Walking in Faith: A Faith-Based Physical Activity Program for Clergy

Benjamin L Webb; Melissa J Bopp

doi:10.1007/s10943-016-0255-2

Results of Walking in Faith: A Faith-Based Physical Activity Program for Clergy

J Relig Health. 2017 Apr;56(2):561-574. doi: 10.1007/s10943-016-0255-2.

Authors

Benjamin L Webb¹, Melissa J Bopp²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied Health, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, USA. benjweb@siue.edu.
² Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.

PMID: 27178321
DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0255-2

Abstract

Clergy are disproportionately affected by obesity and chronic disease. Physical activity (PA) offers a viable option for addressing the health of clergy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally tailored PA program for clergy. Clergy (N = 44) were randomly assigned to an intervention group or wait-list control group. Baseline and follow-up measures included PA behavior and psychosocial measures. Analyses revealed a significant effect of the intervention on sedentary behavior, PA behavior, self-efficacy for PA, and outcome expectations for PA. Culturally tailored PA programs could potentially influence PA behavior and psychosocial mediators of PA among clergy.

Keywords: Clergy; Faith-based; Health; Physical activity.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Chronic Disease / prevention & control*
Clergy / statistics & numerical data*
Female
Health Promotion / methods*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity / prevention & control*
Program Evaluation / statistics & numerical data*
Self Efficacy
Walking / statistics & numerical data*