We are proud to announce GIM Assistant Professor of Medicine, Keisha Bentley-Edwards, PhD, has received a $2,713,229 grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These funds will support a five-year study aimed at investigating the relationship between religion, spirituality and cardiovascular disease risks (obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression) in African Americans and serve as a catalyst for evidence-based interventions to support positive health outcomes for African Americans. Dr. Bentley-Edwards serves as the project’s Principal Investigator.
“I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition.”
“I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition,” says Bentley-Edwards. “Investigating African Americans' religion and spirituality as a tool for eliminating health disparities allows us to conduct research that is both precise and generalizable - which will be useful to researchers, practitioners and faith-based health initiatives.”
Although the occurrence of cardiovascular disease is similar between white and black Americans, the latter population is thirty percent more likely to die from the disease, making cardiovascular disease a dire health disparity for African Americans. Considering that African Americans report the highest level of religiosity than any other racial/ethnic group in the Unites States, religion and spirituality is a strong indicator for prevention and intervention efforts.