Nathan West

Purpose To examine associations between sociodemographic variables, social determinants of health (SDOHs) and diabetes using health needs assessment data. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Faith-based communities in the Mid-South U.S. Sample Of the 378 churches, 92 participated in the study (24% response rate); N = 828 church leaders and members completed the survey. Measure The Mid-South Congregational Health Survey assessed perceived health-related needs of congregations and the communities they serve. Analysis Generalized linear mixed modeling examined the associations between sociodemographic variables (age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational level), SDOHs (affordable healthcare, healthy food, employment), and diabetes. Results Individuals with less education had lower odds of reporting all SDOHs as health needs compared to individuals with more education (OR range = .59-.63). Men had lower odds of reporting diabetes as a health need or concern compared to women (OR = .70; 95% CI = .50, .97). African Americans had greater odds of reporting diabetes as a health need compared to individuals in the ‘Other’ race/ethnicity category (OR = 3.91; 95% CI = 2.20, 6.94). Individuals who reported affordable healthcare (OR = 2.54; 95% CI = 1.73, 3.72), healthy food (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.55, 3.24), and employment (OR = 3.33; 95% CI = 2.29, 4.84) as health needs had greater odds of reporting diabetes as a health need compared to those who did not report these SDOHs as needs. Conclusions Future studies should evaluate strategies to merge healthcare and faith-based organizations’ efforts to address SDOHs impacting diabetes.

Objectives Explore the lived experience of individuals managing and/or caregiving for someone with a chronic disease and their perceptions of developing a mindfulness program for stress reduction. Methods Sixteen participants with chronic disease and/or caregivers participated. Participants completed eligibility screening, demographic questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews (30–60 min each) online or by phone. Interviews ( n = 16) were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis and NVivo® 12. Survey data were analyzed using SPSS® 28. Results Four themes emerged: (a) Chronic disease management and stress—perspectives on life's stressors; (b) Stress reduction techniques/perceptions of mindfulness—knowledge and implementation of stress reduction practices and familiarity with mindfulness; (c) Mindfulness program acceptability, barriers, and facilitators—interest, barriers, and facilitators to attending; (d) Mindfulness program structure—logistics to increase access and appeal to diverse audiences. Discussion Mindfulness has the potential for addressing the complexities of stress associated with disease management. Targeting mindfulness programs for populations with chronic disease management and caregiving responsibilities should include: Consideration of group formats with participation limited to this population, structuring programs to overcome barriers (i.e., culturally appropriate location), and equipping members of the community being served as instructors to ensure culturally relevant instruction.