Perspective: A Call for Precision in Faith-based Initiatives Promoting Health among African Americans

Over 30 years ago, Lasater and colleagues1 demonstrated how churches can play a significant role in health promotion and disease prevention studies and launched a line of research that has evolved to focus primarily on African Americans (AAs). Religious institutions have historically been an essential resource for AAs and played a major role in the establishment and maintenance of communities in which they lived. African Americans as a population have the largest proportion of individuals reporting religion and weekly church attendance to be important.2 As a result, places where AAs worship (ie, churches, mosques, and temples) offer real-world community settings with social infrastructures conducive to health promotion as well as conducting disease prevention and early intervention studies.3 Health scientists and practitioners have sought out faith-based organizations to launch programs designed to improve the health of vulnerable populations and ultimately reduce racial disparities in disease, disability, and death.4-6 The bulk of these studies have been lifestyle interventions set in churches or designed to incorporate church practices (eg, prayer, scripture, music) in an effort to encourage and help AAs to eat healthier, PersPective: A cAll for Precision in fAith-bAsed initiAtives Promoting heAlth Among AfricAn AmericAns