CHURCH-BASED HEALTH PROMOTION - AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE FOR WOMEN 65 AND OLDER

Churches of many denominations provide a wide range of health promotion programs to their members. This author argues that churches would be an excellent base from which to provide health promotion programs to older women because 75% of older women are members of churches, and their median income is below the poverty level, which makes it difficult for them to travel to and pay for programs in other community settings. The author also describes basic steps that should be followed in developing church-based health promotion programs.