Enhancing the Impact of Faith in Public Health: Applying Anderson’s Health Utilization Model to Improve the GEORGIA CEAL Lay Health Training for Faith Leaders
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted individuals’ faith, particularly in the United States, where social distancing and mortality rates fostered stronger connections to spirituality and religious communities. This paper examines how faith-based public health interventions can address health disparities, especially in Black communities, which face significant health inequities shaped by social and political determinants. For Black Americans, faith has historically provided resilience against social challenges, but the pandemic has underscored the need for trusted health interventions, especially due to disproportionate mortality rates, vaccine hesitancy, and the presence of pharmacy deserts. Drawing from the Morehouse School of Medicine’s GEORGIA CEAL program, which trained faith leaders to promote health within communities, this study highlights the program’s successes and limitations. Anderson’s Healthcare Utilization Model informs our analysis of how enabling and predisposing factors, influenced by both political and social determinants, shape preventive health behaviors. Findings indicate that adding culturally tailored modules on the social and political drivers of health disparities may improve faith leaders’ ability to promote lifestyle changes and public health awareness. However, Anderson’s model does not fully account for cultural influences on healthcare utilization, underscoring the need for further refinement of faith-based public health interventions. This study offers insights into enhancing the GEORGIA CEAL program to more effectively address the unique health needs of Black communities.
Keywords
COVID-19, Health disparities, Pharmacy deserts, Faith-based public health, Health equity, Political determinants of health, Social determinants of health
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Enhancing the Impact of Faith in Public Health: Applying Anderson’s Health Utilization Model to Improve the GEORGIA CEAL Lay Health Training for Faith Leaders
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted individuals’ faith, particularly in the United States, where social distancing and mortality rates fostered stronger connections to spirituality and religious communities. This paper examines how faith-based public health interventions can address health disparities, especially in Black communities, which face significant health inequities shaped by social and political determinants. For Black Americans, faith has historically provided resilience against social challenges, but the pandemic has underscored the need for trusted health interventions, especially due to disproportionate mortality rates, vaccine hesitancy, and the presence of pharmacy deserts. Drawing from the Morehouse School of Medicine’s GEORGIA CEAL program, which trained faith leaders to promote health within communities, this study highlights the program’s successes and limitations. Anderson’s Healthcare Utilization Model informs our analysis of how enabling and predisposing factors, influenced by both political and social determinants, shape preventive health behaviors. Findings indicate that adding culturally tailored modules on the social and political drivers of health disparities may improve faith leaders’ ability to promote lifestyle changes and public health awareness. However, Anderson’s model does not fully account for cultural influences on healthcare utilization, underscoring the need for further refinement of faith-based public health interventions. This study offers insights into enhancing the GEORGIA CEAL program to more effectively address the unique health needs of Black communities.
