Can Religion Boost your Health?

• More than 75% of 325 studies show that religion improves health and well-being¹
• People who attend church services often - once a week or more - live longer than those who don’t according to a recent study of 5000 people conducted by the Public Health Institute ²
• Persons who regularly attend church services report lower levels of psychological distress and a greater sense of well-being than infrequent attenders and non-attenders ³
• Regular church attendance turns out to be a better predictor than family structure or income that African-American youth will stay away from drugs or crime concluded a Harvard University economist ⁴
• 81% of relevant studies in a systematic review of research published in the Journal of Family Practice over a 10 year period found a positive association between religious commitment and health status ⁵
• Most published studies show that more religiously committed patients have lower blood pressures ⁶
• The majority of the studies regarding African-Americans and Hispanics indicates the importance of religion, and particularly the church, for social support and coping ⁷
• Those who use religious means of coping seem to cope more effectively with illness than those who do not use religious means of coping ⁸
• A study of 232 elderly patients who had heart surgery determined that a religious perspective could enhance the recovery process ⁹
• According to a ten year follow-up of 2,700 persons in an epidemiological health study, increased church attendance is the only social factor that effectively lowers mortality rates in women. ¹⁰
• There is a positive association between religiousity and self-esteem, family cohesion, and perceived well-being according to social psychological studies ¹¹
• A 1992 Gallup survey found that religious faith and practice is a primary source of happiness ¹²
• Those with a strong faith retain greater happiness after suffering divorce, unemployment, serious illness, or bereavement. ¹³
• The elderly who were actively involved in religious behaviors were more likely than the less religious to achieve high morale scores according to a study in The Gerontologist. ¹⁴
• Relative to their peers, religious youth are less likely to engage in behaviors that compromise their health (drinking and driving, etc.) and are more likely to behave in ways that enhance their health ¹⁵
• Researchers have found that religious practice can lower disease risk and enhance well-being, as well as provide social support, which buffers stress and enhances coping. ¹⁶

¹ Williams III, Gurney. "How Prayer Heals" McCall’s Dec 1998: 90.

² Gurney 92.

³ "Religious Commitment: Good for your health" Family Research Council: In Focus 1.

⁴ Shapiro, Joseph P. and Andrea Wright. "Can Churches Save America" US News and World Report Sept 9 1996.

⁵ Matthews MD, Dale A. et al. "Religious Commitment and Health Status" Archives of Family Medicine Mar/Apr 1998: 119.

⁶ Matthews 121.

⁷ Stolley, Phd. Jacqueline M., and Harold Koenig, "Religion/Spirituality and Health Among Elderly African Americans and Hispanics" Journal of Psychosocial Nursing Vol 35, No. 11: 36.

⁸ Matthews 122.

⁹ Matthews 122.

¹⁰ Religious 2.

¹¹ Bergin, Allen E. "Values and Religious Issues in Psychotherapy and Mental Health" American Psychologist Apr 1991: 401.

¹² VanDenBerghe, Elizabeth. "Religion and the Abundant Life"

¹³ Myers, David. "Who’s Happy? Who’s Not?" Christianity Today Nov. 23, 1992: 26.

¹⁴ Koenig MD, Harold G. et. al. "Religion and Well-being in Later Life" The Gerontologist Vol. 28, No. 1, 1988: 25.

¹⁵ Wallace Jr., Phd, John M. and Tyrone Forman, "Religion’s Role in Promoting Health and Reducing Risk among American Youth" Health Education and Behavior Dec 1998: 721.

¹⁶ Levin, Phd. Jeffrey S. et al. "Religion and Spirituality in Medicine: Research and Education" JAMA Sept 3, 1997. Vol 278, No. 9: 792.

This page was last updated on 01/23/00.