1. THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES
An investigation into the perceived health needs, healthcare access and health behaviours of individuals within a Seventh-day Adventist Church in Coventry. Chantal Tomlinson Dr. Deborah Lycett Anne Coufopoulos and Mike Duncan, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Coventry University, England
The SDA church in the United Kingdom and Coventry in particular, has a large percentage of
Black African and Caribbean individuals.
Background
Results
Forty-seven, mostly Black seventh-day Adventists aged 18 – 62 attending Coventry Central church were surveyed.
Most participants were female either currently undertaking undergraduate degrees or educated at least to Bachelor’s level.
Most of those surveyed were obese with waist circumferences that put them at severe risk of heart disease.
Most participants had normal blood pressure. Iron deficiency anaemia was the most common health condition and iron supplements the most commonly taken medication.
There are no current smokers or drinkers in this sample.
Most are active and have 7-9 hours of sleep daily. The most commonly followed special diet is a vegetarian diet and the mean consumption portions of fruit and vegetables is 5 daily.
They are most likely to attend a programme on nutrition, fitness and weight loss and least likely to attend one on smoking cessation. When asked about the source that is sought most commonly for help with health, God was the highest-ranking response for most individuals.
The Seventh-day Adventist church in the United Kingdom and Coventry in particular, has a large percentage of black African and Caribbean individuals.
Black and Minority Ethnic groups are more likely to suffer from ill-health in comparison to those of the indigenous population.
The evidence highlights that individuals of this ethnicity have higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity.
It is also documented that those who consider themselves to be of an ‘Ethnic Minority’ are less likely to access healthcare services.
The Seventh-day Adventist church is known to have good health practices with Loma Linda being one of the areas with the largest number of centenarians in the world.
However it is unknown how much these health practices are adhered to in the United Kingdom.
The perceived health needs of a local SDA community and health behaviours and dietary practices they currently engage in will be explored.
Conclusion
There are health parameters identified such as: weight, body fat percentage, waist circumference that put this group at an increased risk of developing chronic disease.
The group sampled have an interest in nutrition, fitness, chronic disease, weight loss and cancer prevention health programmes.
The next phase of this research will aim to address these issues using the interest that these individuals have in the above programmes.
Figure1. Rankings of Attendance to Health Programmes
Aims
To explore the health needs of a local Seventh-day Adventist community.
To investigate what health behaviours and dietary practices they currently engage in.
To inform and evaluate the delivery of one of the health interventions run in the global Seventh-day Adventist Church.
WEIGHT LOSS
CANCER PREVENTION
NUTRITION
FITNESS
CHRONIC DISEASE
Figure 2. Rankings of Source of Help for the Participants in ill-health
Methods
The survey recommended by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists in their Health Ministries Leader Handbook was partially adapted and used in this sample.
The demographic data, such as: age and gender, ethnicity, education level were collected. Health behaviours such as the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, hours of sleep, activity levels, and the consumption of fruit and vegetables were collected.
Anthropometric measures were measured such as: weight, height, blood pressure, waist circumference and percentage body fat.
FRIENDS
BOOKS/INTERNET
GOD
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES
CHURCH LEADERS
References
Orlich, M.J., Singh, P.N., Sabaté, J., Jaceldo-Siegl, K., Fan, J., Knutsen, S., Beeson, W.L., Fraser, G.E. (2013) ‘Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Mortality in Adventist Health Study 2’ JAMA Internal Medicine [online] 173 (13), available from < [21 February 2016]
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2007) ‘Ethnicity and Health’ [online] available from < [16 February 2016]
Public Health England (2014) Adult obesity and type 2 diabetes [online] available from
< [18 February 2016]
The Kings Fund (2006) Access to Health care and minority ethnic groups [online] available from < February 2016]
World Health Organisation (2016) ‘Interventions on diet and physical activity: What Works’ [online] available from < [15 February 2016]