Interest in the religion-health connection continues to grow as scholars from a variety of disciplines refine our understanding of the ways in which religion can influence health. Both practitioners and politicians are increasingly supportive of faith-based efforts to provide health promotion services. Despite these trends, few schools of public health offer courses that consider the religion-health connection from an academic perspective. This paper will describe the presenter's experiences teaching a seminar on religion and health status that is currently offered at the Ohio State University School of Public Health. The course consists of three sections: (1) Epidemiological evidence for the relationship between religion and health status; (2) Mechanisms thought to explain observed associations (e.g., health behaviors, social support); and (3) Examples of how public health practice operates in faith communities. Students enroll in the course for a variety of reasons. Some enroll to validate the role that religion does (or does not) play in their lives. Most students, however, are attracted by the opportunity to discuss a compelling topic in a respectful yet critical setting. Creating such an environment is challenging and raises many pedagogical issues such as self-disclosure and facilitating discussions. As interest in the religion-health connection continues to grow, schools of public health can better prepare their students by offering opportunities to study this topic and its many potential benefits and limitations. This paper aims to help schools in this process.
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Religion, Public Health Curricula
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Ohio State University School of Public Health
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.