Influence of Religiosity on Health Behaviors of College Students

Background/Purpose: The influence of religion and spirituality on health behaviors has emerged as a potential avenue for enhancing behavior change. Religiosity (formal and informal religious practice, both public and private) and spirituality (individual's relationship to something sacred; meaning and values of one's purpose) influence individual's cognitions, emotions and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between religion and spirituality in relation to physical activity and dietary fat intakes among a sample of college students. Method: College students (n=914) were recruited from a large, public university in the southeastern United States. A valid and reliable survey designed to collect demographic information, religiosity and spirituality variables and dietary fat and physical activity was disseminated via classroom. SPSS v.17 was used for statistical analyses. Analyses conducted included descriptive analyses, bivariate correlations, t-tests, analysis of variance, and regression models. Analysis/Results: Intakes of dietary fat were found to be higher in students that reported greater levels of behavioral religiosity and functional religiosity. Students who reported greater levels of functional religiosity also stated that they engaged in higher levels of vigorous physical activity. Conclusions: This research has implications for researchers and other health professionals. Health promotion programs designed to lower fat intake and increase physical activity may include the concept of religiosity. More research is needed to confirm these relationships and test applications of these concepts.