Latino Women's Spiritual Beliefs Related to Health

Abstract

This study employed qualitative research to describe the relationship between spirituality and overall health among a sample of Latino women. A framework is presented for understanding this complex relationship. Findings are presented from a qualitative analysis of six 1.5-hour focus group sessions. The research was conducted among Latino women living in Chicago, Illinois, and Northeastern New York communities. We employed a community-based participatory research approach in which community members were active participants throughout the research process. Subjects were 47 Latino women 31 to 81 years, all of whom were Christian and the majority (43%) of whom had less than a high school education. Twenty-seven percent reported having high school diplomas, and the same percentage reported at least some college. Of the women who answered the questions, one did not have health insurance, 69% had public health insurance, and 29% had private health insurance. Grounded theory using selective coding was employed to understand the relationship between spirituality and health and to develop the conceptual framework. Spirituality was expressed as a vital component of health, and the belief in a need for balance of physical, mental, and spiritual health was described. An active and a passive relationship between spirituality and health emerged, with active being most common. Asking God for help or faith as a coping strategy were subdomains of the active relationship, and God responsible for health fell under the passive domain. These relationship types influenced beliefs about participation in one's own health. The findings that emerged contribute to an understanding of how spirituality plays a role in health beliefs among Latino women, which has implications for health promotion research and program development for addressing health disparities.