Background
Obesity is a major concern in the United States and Black Americans are among those with the highest rates of overweight, obesity, and related co- morbidities. While weight loss among Black women has been studied within the context of a faith-based setting, there is little information about the relationship between spirituality, or relationship with the transcendent, and self-efficacy in the achievement and maintenance of a healthy weight.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among spirituality, self-efficacy for physical activity and healthy eating, and body composition measures among Black women over the period of participation in an existing weight management program.
Method
Participants were a convenience sample of 83 overweight or obese Black women (M age = 46, SD = 11.6) enrolled in one of five participating 7-week Curves for Women weight management classes offered in California. Spirituality was assessed at baseline, while self-efficacy, behavior, and body composition measurements were collected at baseline, 4 and 7 weeks.
Analyses
Baseline self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with spiritual experiences (r = .43, p < .001) and congregational support through love and care (r = .28, p = .02). Baseline self-efficacy and daily spiritual experiences independently explained end-of-program self-efficacy for physical activity (R2 = .53, β = .218, p = .03) and eating variables (R2 = .35, β = .270, p = .01), controlling for age. Self-efficacy to overcome exercise barriers (72.2 vs. 44.6, p < .001) and to continue exercise (87.8 vs. 61.7, p = .03) was was significantly higher among those who met physical activity recommendations during the program, indicating that self-efficacy was related to behavior.
Conclusion and Significance to Health Education
Interventions with a spiritual component that appeal to Black women for whom spirituality is important, have the potential to be more effective than basic weight management programs without such a component. This study supports the hypothesis that spirituality affects self-efficacy for exercise and eating behaviors, which may ultimately translate into more effective weight management outcomes. Further research is needed to test whether the addition of spirituality as a component of culturally sensitive health education and behavior change programs and practices involving Black women is effective in improving weight loss.
","abstract_html":"<p><em><strong>Background</strong></em></p> <p>Obesity is a major concern in the United States and Black Americans are among those with the highest rates of overweight, obesity, and related co- morbidities. While weight loss among Black women has been studied within the context of a faith-based setting, there is little information about the relationship between spirituality, or relationship with the transcendent, and self-efficacy in the achievement and maintenance of a healthy weight.</p> <p><em><strong>Purpose</strong></em></p> <p>The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among spirituality, self-efficacy for physical activity and healthy eating, and body composition measures among Black women over the period of participation in an existing weight management program.</p> <p><em><strong>Method</strong></em></p> <p>Participants were a convenience sample of 83 overweight or obese Black women (M age = 46, SD = 11.6) enrolled in one of five participating 7-week <em>Curves for Women</em> weight management classes offered in California. Spirituality was assessed at baseline, while self-efficacy, behavior, and body composition measurements were collected at baseline, 4 and 7 weeks.</p> <p><em><strong>Analyses</strong></em></p> <p>Baseline self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with spiritual experiences (<em>r </em>= .43, <em>p</em> < .001) and congregational support through love and care (<em>r </em>= .28, <em>p </em>= .02). Baseline self-efficacy and daily spiritual experiences independently explained end-of-program self-efficacy for physical activity (R<sup>2 </sup>= .53, β = .218, <em>p </em>= .03) and eating variables (R<sup>2 </sup>= .35, β = .270, <em>p </em>= .01), controlling for age. Self-efficacy to overcome exercise barriers (72.2 vs. 44.6, <em>p</em> < .001) and to continue exercise (87.8 vs. 61.7, <em>p</em> = .03) was was significantly higher among those who met physical activity recommendations during the program, indicating that self-efficacy was related to behavior.</p> <p><em><strong>Conclusion and Significance to Health Education</strong></em></p> <p>Interventions with a spiritual component that appeal to Black women for whom spirituality is important, have the potential to be more effective than basic weight management programs without such a component. This study supports the hypothesis that spirituality affects self-efficacy for exercise and eating behaviors, which may ultimately translate into more effective weight management outcomes. Further research is needed to test whether the addition of spirituality as a component of culturally sensitive health education and behavior change programs and practices involving Black women is effective in improving weight loss.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bowie, Shené L."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Helen Hopp Marshak","Patti Herring","Brenda Rea","Desiree Backman"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-10-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-10-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:54:01Z","subjects":["Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Health Psychology","Public Health Education and Promotion","Transpersonal Psychology","Obesity in women -- Prevention; Women, Black -- Psychology; African American women -- Religious life; Women and religion; Spirituality -- Comparative studies; Obesity -- Prevention and control; Obesity -- Ethnology; African-Americans; Body Weights and Measures -- Ethnology; African-Americans; Women's Health; Religion and Medicine"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1482","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Helen Hopp Marshak","Patti Herring","Brenda Rea","Desiree Backman"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bowie, Shené L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Health Psychology","Public Health Education and Promotion","Transpersonal Psychology","Obesity in women -- Prevention; Women, Black -- Psychology; African American women -- Religious life; Women and religion; Spirituality -- Comparative studies; Obesity -- Prevention and control; Obesity -- Ethnology; African-Americans; Body Weights and Measures -- Ethnology; African-Americans; Women's Health; Religion and Medicine"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1482"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background
Obesity is a major concern in the United States and Black Americans are among those with the highest rates of overweight, obesity, and related co- morbidities. While weight loss among Black women has been studied within the context of a faith-based setting, there is little information about the relationship between spirituality, or relationship with the transcendent, and self-efficacy in the achievement and maintenance of a healthy weight.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among spirituality, self-efficacy for physical activity and healthy eating, and body composition measures among Black women over the period of participation in an existing weight management program.
Method
Participants were a convenience sample of 83 overweight or obese Black women (M age = 46, SD = 11.6) enrolled in one of five participating 7-week Curves for Women weight management classes offered in California. Spirituality was assessed at baseline, while self-efficacy, behavior, and body composition measurements were collected at baseline, 4 and 7 weeks.
Analyses
Baseline self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with spiritual experiences (r = .43, p < .001) and congregational support through love and care (r = .28, p = .02). Baseline self-efficacy and daily spiritual experiences independently explained end-of-program self-efficacy for physical activity (R2 = .53, β = .218, p = .03) and eating variables (R2 = .35, β = .270, p = .01), controlling for age. Self-efficacy to overcome exercise barriers (72.2 vs. 44.6, p < .001) and to continue exercise (87.8 vs. 61.7, p = .03) was was significantly higher among those who met physical activity recommendations during the program, indicating that self-efficacy was related to behavior.
Conclusion and Significance to Health Education
Interventions with a spiritual component that appeal to Black women for whom spirituality is important, have the potential to be more effective than basic weight management programs without such a component. This study supports the hypothesis that spirituality affects self-efficacy for exercise and eating behaviors, which may ultimately translate into more effective weight management outcomes. Further research is needed to test whether the addition of spirituality as a component of culturally sensitive health education and behavior change programs and practices involving Black women is effective in improving weight loss.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Spirituality, Religiosity, and Weight Management in Black Women"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Helen Hopp Marshak","Patti Herring","Brenda Rea","Desiree Backman"],"dc:creator":["Bowie, Shené L."],"dc:description.abstract":["Background
Obesity is a major concern in the United States and Black Americans are among those with the highest rates of overweight, obesity, and related co- morbidities. While weight loss among Black women has been studied within the context of a faith-based setting, there is little information about the relationship between spirituality, or relationship with the transcendent, and self-efficacy in the achievement and maintenance of a healthy weight.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among spirituality, self-efficacy for physical activity and healthy eating, and body composition measures among Black women over the period of participation in an existing weight management program.
Method
Participants were a convenience sample of 83 overweight or obese Black women (M age = 46, SD = 11.6) enrolled in one of five participating 7-week Curves for Women weight management classes offered in California. Spirituality was assessed at baseline, while self-efficacy, behavior, and body composition measurements were collected at baseline, 4 and 7 weeks.
Analyses
Baseline self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with spiritual experiences (r = .43, p < .001) and congregational support through love and care (r = .28, p = .02). Baseline self-efficacy and daily spiritual experiences independently explained end-of-program self-efficacy for physical activity (R2 = .53, β = .218, p = .03) and eating variables (R2 = .35, β = .270, p = .01), controlling for age. Self-efficacy to overcome exercise barriers (72.2 vs. 44.6, p < .001) and to continue exercise (87.8 vs. 61.7, p = .03) was was significantly higher among those who met physical activity recommendations during the program, indicating that self-efficacy was related to behavior.
Conclusion and Significance to Health Education
Interventions with a spiritual component that appeal to Black women for whom spirituality is important, have the potential to be more effective than basic weight management programs without such a component. This study supports the hypothesis that spirituality affects self-efficacy for exercise and eating behaviors, which may ultimately translate into more effective weight management outcomes. Further research is needed to test whether the addition of spirituality as a component of culturally sensitive health education and behavior change programs and practices involving Black women is effective in improving weight loss.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1482"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Health Psychology","Public Health Education and Promotion","Transpersonal Psychology","Obesity in women -- Prevention; Women, Black -- Psychology; African American women -- Religious life; Women and religion; Spirituality -- Comparative studies; Obesity -- Prevention and control; Obesity -- Ethnology; African-Americans; Body Weights and Measures -- Ethnology; African-Americans; Women's Health; Religion and Medicine"],"dc:title":["Spirituality, Religiosity, and Weight Management in Black Women"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:54:01Z"}