Understanding Social and Personal Aspects of Faith and Practice Related
to Health
Robert McKeown, Ph.D. & Holly Pope, Ph.D.(c)
University of South Carolina
Proposal Summary: This study will assess aspects of faith and practice that may impact health, such as prayer, beliefs, religious involvement, social capital, trust and outlook on life. Three groups will be compared, a group of adults who have completed a program which sought to create more caring communities, a group of adults who attend church regularly, and a group of adults who do not attend church regularly. In addition, the researchers will examine participants’ motivations for group participation, explore mechanisms through which participation benefits health, and develop an instrument to assess social capital, health outcomes, and dimensions of faith and practice.
