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Church-based and community health promotion interventions can reach broad populations and have great potential for reducing health disparities. From a socio-ecological perspective, churches and other religious organizations influence members' behaviors at multiple levels of change.
The Nebraska Center for Healthy Families of Omaha, Nebraska, assists with the design of appropriate faith-based initiatives, strategies, and messages for diverse groups and denominations. A collaborative partnership approach utilizing principles of community-based participatory research and involving churches in program design and delivery is essential for recruitment, participation, and sustainability.
For African Americans, health interventions that incorporate spiritual and cultural contextualization have been effective. Evidence indicates that church-based health programs have produced significant impacts on a variety of health behaviors.
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