Spirituality and Well-Being: Community Perspectives from the Flint Women’s Study

Abstract: Background: Spirituality is important for the well-being of marginalized women, offering strength amid adversity. However, even when women from poverty-stricken communities draw resilience from spirituality, they often continue to exhibit poorer health outcomes compared to dominant groups. Objectives: The Flint Women’s Study was conducted to understand the needs, strengths, hopes, and solutions of women in Flint. This sub-study aims to 1) explore how spirituality influences women’s well-being and 2) elicit participants’ suggestions for how spirituality can be used to address gaps in women’s mental and physical health needs. Methods: Community-based participatory research principles with a qualitative research design were applied. Using a semi-structured interview, a sample of 100 women and/or providers serving women were interviewed to explore how spirituality influences women’s well-being and suggestions for addressing their mental and physical health needs. Results: Findings revealed three key themes: 1) spirituality promoting women’s well-being (reflecting on how spirituality supports women’s physical and mental health needs); 2) criticisms and limitations of access to spirituality (underlining structural hurdles that hinder access to meeting women’s needs); and 3) recommendations for addressing women’s physical and mental health priorities. Conclusions: Spirituality can function as a social determinant of health in marginalized communities that face multiple adversities, given its potential to promote health outcomes. Intersecting with faith-based spaces, spirituality shapes women’s well-being while also continuing to present structural barriers to accessing support. Recommendations are provided for faith-based communities to work together to promote women’s aspirations, prioritize reproductive needs, and create supportive spaces that amplify women’s voices.