Faith, Food, and Health: Samoan Churches as Missed Health Communication Resources in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) disproportionately affect Samoan communities in the Pacific Islands and United States, and food literacy is an important determinant of dietary behavior. Churches are central Samoan cultural institutions, yet their role in U.S. diaspora health practices remains underexamined. This study examines churches as nutrition and health information sources among the Samoan diaspora in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the largest Pacific Islander populations in the United States. Data derive from surveys of 147 Samoan adults and five semi-structured interviews conducted in 2022. Although 55% of participants reported Samoan church affiliation, only two identified church as a primary nutrition information source, and one as a source of general health practices. Unlike in Samoa, where churches often facilitate community mobilization and health communication, these findings reveal a disconnect between churches' cultural centrality and health communication role in the diaspora, highlighting opportunities for culturally grounded, faith-based health interventions.