African American Spirituality: A Process of Honoring God, Others, and Self

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to explore African American definitions of practicing spirituality and to describe the process of spirituality and its relationship to health promotion. Method: Data were collected using semi-structured interview questions via two focus groups from a total of 12 participants who self-identified as African American. Findings: This grounded theory methodology generated three categories of spirituality: (a) love in action, (b) relationships and connections, and (c) unconditional love. The overall process of practicing spirituality and its relationship to health identified a process of honoring God, self, and others. Conclusion: Research studies that investigate the concept of spirituality and its relationship to health promotion and disease management need to address the subjective experience of spirituality based on participant definitions rather than researcher-focused definitions of spirituality.