Bernice A. Dodor

The Impact of Religiosity on Health Behaviors and Obesity among African Americans

Religion has been associated with good physical health and may represent a protective factor against overweight and obesity. This study explored dimensions of religiosity associated with health behaviors—eating habits and physical activity—and obesity in the African American population. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed for 3,620 African American adults ages 28 to 34. A structural equation model (path model) revealed that high levels of church attendance combined with religious practice encouraged healthy eating habits. However, increasing time spent in prayer while making religion more important in life was associated with poor eating habits. More frequent church attendance and prayer were implicated in heightened levels of obesity, suggesting that various dimensions of religiosity were constructed differently with health behaviors and obesity.

Faculty Experiences of Merger and Organizational Change in a Social Work Program

Social work programs are experiencing unprecedented organizational changes due to budget cuts, dwindling resources, global, and technological challenges. However, there is limited information in the literature about the merger experiences of faculty in social work programs. On one hand undergoing merger and reorganization provides the opportunity to reorganize, reprioritize, re-assess, develop strategies, and explore previously untapped opportunities for social work programs. Conversely, merger experiences have caused frustration, intention to quit, confusion, and loss of professional identity for social work faculty. In this article the authors utilize a journaling method and sense-making approach of the merger experiences of some of the faculty members of a social work program in the United States. The authors suggest a framework to understand how the faculty confronted the challenges, overcame the pitfalls, and maximized the opportunities offered during the merger and organizational change process.

Substance Abuse Treatment for African American Men with HIV/AIDS in Eastern North Carolina

This paper examined the impact of and barriers to accessing substance abuse treatment for people with HIV/AIDS in eastern North Carolina. The outcomes of treatment for HIV/AIDS with public coverage in North Carolina are addressed in terms of the impact on the African American male population. Substance abuse services for African American men with HIV/AIDS in eastern North Carolina have not been sufficient. There is a desperate need to provide information on this segment of the population. Therefore, this paper provided an initial discussion that will serve as the impetus for further discussion and research.

The Impact of Religiosity on Substance Abuse and Obesity in African Americans

Among the African American community, there exist many health disparities which warrant greater examination through the practice of social work. The aim of the present research was to explore the impact of religiosity on substance abuse and obesity among African American populations by employing a systematic review of the current body of literature on this subject. While many of the studies reviewed found at least a weak relationship between religiosity and obesity, such results were not consistent across all materials examined. Among those studies that found a correlation between these factors, many demonstrated that religiosity had a positive impact on substance abuse and obesity. A discussion of the implications of these findings is submitted as a means of illuminating the significance of all research findings that were examined. Limitations such as more standardized criteria for inclusion of research material are identified and discussed. Implications for future research are presented to promote the advancement of future efforts in this area research.

Perspectives on Markers of Adulthood Among Emerging Adults in Ghana and Nigeria

Within the rapidly growing literature on emerging adulthood worldwide, studies examining this concept in African countries are virtually nonexistent. In an effort to continue the inclusion of other countries and cultures in the discussion of this developmental concept, there is a need to conduct research on emerging adulthood in African countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives on the markers of adulthood among emerging adults at selected universities in Ghana and Nigeria. Results reveal that the markers of adulthood among youth in Ghana and Nigeria are eclectic, with strong ties to sociocultural factors. The findings of this study make several important contributions to the literature for our understanding of the concept of emerging adulthood and serve as anchor for further research in the field of emerging adulthood in West Africa.

Correction to: The Impact of Religiosity on Substance Abuse and Obesity in African Americans

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the author names. The co-author names should be David Meetze and Ronald Whicker Jr. instead of David Meetz and Ronald Wicker. The original article has been corrected.