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"We Hide Under the Scriptures": Conceptualization of Health Among United Methodist Church Clergy in Kenya.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Walther, NG; Proeschold-Bell, RJ; Benjamin-Neelon, S; Adipo, S; Kamaara, E
Published in: J Relig Health
December 2015

As community leaders, clergy are well-positioned to impact the health of their congregants. Clergy's conceptualizations of health influence their own self-care and how they minister to others. Interviews and focus group discussions on health conceptualizations and health-seeking behaviors were conducted with 49 United Methodist Church clergy in Western Kenya. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological methods. Participants defined health holistically using an environmental health model. Some participants reported not seeking health care so their congregants would believe that their faith kept them healthy. Participants who believed that health comes directly from God reported seeking health care less often. Participants also reported combining traditional indigenous medicine with Western medicine. This study has implications for health promotion among Kenyan clergy and offers the first study of health conceptualization among clergy in Africa.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Relig Health

DOI

EISSN

1573-6571

Publication Date

December 2015

Volume

54

Issue

6

Start / End Page

2235 / 2248

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • Self Care
  • Protestantism
  • Professional Role
  • Kenya
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Humans
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Behavior
  • Focus Groups
 

Citation

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Walther, N. G., Proeschold-Bell, R. J., Benjamin-Neelon, S., Adipo, S., & Kamaara, E. (2015). "We Hide Under the Scriptures": Conceptualization of Health Among United Methodist Church Clergy in Kenya. J Relig Health, 54(6), 2235–2248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9947-7
Walther, Nikki Georggi, Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, Sara Benjamin-Neelon, Sherine Adipo, and Eunice Kamaara. “"We Hide Under the Scriptures": Conceptualization of Health Among United Methodist Church Clergy in Kenya.J Relig Health 54, no. 6 (December 2015): 2235–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9947-7.
Walther NG, Proeschold-Bell RJ, Benjamin-Neelon S, Adipo S, Kamaara E. "We Hide Under the Scriptures": Conceptualization of Health Among United Methodist Church Clergy in Kenya. J Relig Health. 2015 Dec;54(6):2235–48.
Walther, Nikki Georggi, et al. “"We Hide Under the Scriptures": Conceptualization of Health Among United Methodist Church Clergy in Kenya.J Relig Health, vol. 54, no. 6, Dec. 2015, pp. 2235–48. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9947-7.
Walther NG, Proeschold-Bell RJ, Benjamin-Neelon S, Adipo S, Kamaara E. "We Hide Under the Scriptures": Conceptualization of Health Among United Methodist Church Clergy in Kenya. J Relig Health. 2015 Dec;54(6):2235–2248.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Relig Health

DOI

EISSN

1573-6571

Publication Date

December 2015

Volume

54

Issue

6

Start / End Page

2235 / 2248

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • Self Care
  • Protestantism
  • Professional Role
  • Kenya
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Humans
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Behavior
  • Focus Groups