Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Mar 2015
Religion, sense of calling, and the practice of medicine: findings from a national survey of primary care physicians and psychiatrists.
A sense of calling is a concept with religious and theological roots; however, it is unclear whether contemporary physicians in the United States still embrace this concept in their practice of medicine. This study assesses the association between religious characteristics and endorsing a sense of calling among practicing primary care physicians (PCPs) and psychiatrists. ⋯ In this national study of PCPs and psychiatrists, we found that PCPs who considered themselves religious were more likely to report a strong sense of calling in the practice of medicine. Although this cross-sectional study cannot be used to make definitive causal inferences between religion and developing a strong sense of calling, PCPs who considered themselves religious are more likely to embrace the concept of calling in their practice of medicine.
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Southern medical journal · Mar 2015
Comparative StudyTrends in cigarette smoking and obesity in Appalachian Kentucky.
The southern region of the United States, particularly central and southern Appalachia, has long been identified as an area of health inequities. An updated and more complete understanding of the association among the leading risk factors for such health inequities allows researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to focus their efforts on the most effective strategies to minimize these risks. ⋯ A continuum of approaches to address smoking and obesity is warranted. Such approaches range from ensuring access to smoking cessation programs to implementing community- and state-level policies to curb smoking and unhealthy energy balance (eg, smoke-free policies and increases in tobacco and "junk food" taxes) and culturally appropriate individual-level interventions (evidence-based smoking cessation and weight-loss programming).