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PubMed1996

Religion and subjective health among black and white elders.

This study examines the effect of religion on subjective health in a sample of Black and White elderly adults living in a southern community of the United States. The analyses lead to several conclusions. First, the findings indicate that future analyses examining the link between religion and subjective health should incorporate measures of functional health. Second, the differences found between Blacks and Whites warrant separation by race in future studies of religion and health. Third, the effects of religion on subjective health seem to be greatest for those suffering from physical health problems. This last finding emphasizes the comfort role of religion suggested by other researchers.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

[Religion and size of family (author's transl)].

In the present economic society with its production patterns, religion slowly looses its influence on the size of the family. The vital statistics from 1973 to 1975 in Bavaria were reviewed regarding the birth registry in correlation to the religion of the marriage partners and to the birth rate was obvious not only in mixed marriages but also in marriages of the same religion. This development was especially apparent in marriages of less than 2 years duration. Exceptions were marriages in which one of the 2 christian religions, Roman Catholic or Protestant. In these cases, one marriage partner was usually not a German citizen. Different religions, value systems, different ethical values and ethnic considerations were of importance. In industrial societies, technology and economics are the dominant factors influencing human reproduction. This opens a large field for investigation by demographers, sociologists, psychologists, and physicians.

Family Planning Services↗
PubMed2000

Religion and medicine I: historical background and reasons for separation.

Religion and medicine have a long, intertwined, tumultuous history, going back thousands of years. Only within the past 200-300 years (less than 5 percent of recorded history) have these twin healing traditions been clearly separate. This series on religion and medicine begins with a historical review, proceeding from prehistoric times through ancient Egypt, Greece, and early Christianity through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Age of Enlightenment, when the split between religion and medicine became final and complete. Among the many reasons for the continued separation is that religion may either be simply irrelevant to health or, worse, that it may have a number of negative health effects. I review here both opinion and research supporting this claim.

History, 15th Century↗
PubMed1989

Is religion therapeutically significant for hypertension?

Epidemiologic studies of the effects of religion on blood pressure suggest that religious commitment is inversely associated with blood pressure and that several religious denominations or groups have relatively low rates of hypertension-related morbidity and mortality. In this review, we examine the implication that certain characteristics and functions of religion account for this association, and we posit 12 possible explanations for this finding. We propose that a salutary effect of religion on blood pressure can be explained by some combination of the following correlates or sequelae of religion: the promotion of health-related behavior; hereditary predispositions in particular groups; the healthful psychosocial effects of religious practice; and, the beneficial psychodynamics of belief systems, religious rites, and faith. Since past epidemiologic studies may have been methodologically limited or flawed, possible explanations for the findings of these studies also include epistemological confusion, measurement problems, and analytical errors. Finally, for the sake of completeness, two more speculative hypotheses are identified: superempirical and supernatural influences or pathways.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2006

Male circumcision, religion, and infectious diseases: an ecologic analysis of 118 developing countries.

BACKGROUND: Both religious practices and male circumcision (MC) have been associated with HIV and other sexually-transmitted infectious diseases. Most studies have been limited in size and have not adequately controlled for religion, so these relationships remain unclear. METHODS: We evaluated relationships between MC prevalence, Muslim and Christian religion, and 7 infectious diseases using country-specific data among 118 developing countries. We used multivariate linear regression to describe associations between MC and cervical cancer incidence, and between MC and HIV prevalence among countries with primarily sexual HIV transmission. RESULTS: Fifty-three, 14, and 51 developing countries had a high (>80%), intermediate (20-80%), and low (<20%) MC prevalence, respectively. In univariate analyses, MC was associated with lower HIV prevalence and lower cervical cancer incidence, but not with HSV-2, syphilis, nor, as expected, with Hepatitis C, tuberculosis, or malaria. In multivariate analysis after stratifying the countries by religious groups, each categorical increase of MC prevalence was associated with a 3.65/100,000 women (95% CI 0.54-6.76, p = 0.02) decrease in annual cervical cancer incidence, and a 1.84-fold (95% CI 1.36-2.48, p < 0.001) decrease in the adult HIV prevalence among sub-Saharan African countries. In separate multivariate analyses among non-sub-Saharan African countries controlling for religion, higher MC prevalence was associated with a 8.94-fold (95% CI 4.30-18.60) decrease in the adult HIV prevalence among countries with primarily heterosexual HIV transmission, but not, as expected, among countries with primarily homosexual or injection drug use HIV transmission (p = 0.35). CONCLUSION: Male circumcision was significantly associated with lower cervical cancer incidence and lower HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, independent of Muslim and Christian religion. As predicted, male circumcision was also strongly associated with lower HIV prevalence among countries with primarily heterosexual HIV transmission, but not among countries with primarily homosexual or injection drug use HIV transmission. These findings strengthen the reported biological link between MC and some sexually transmitted infectious diseases, including HIV and cervical cancer.

Africa South of the Sahara↗
PubMed2005

Religion-based tobacco control interventions: how should WHO proceed?

Using religion to improve health is an age-old practice. However, using religion and enlisting religious authorities in public health campaigns, as exemplified by tobacco control interventions and other activities undertaken by WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, is a relatively recent phenomenon. Although all possible opportunities within society should be exploited to control tobacco use and promote health, religion-based interventions should not be exempted from the evidence-based scrutiny to which other interventions are subjected before being adopted. In the absence of data and debate on whether this approach works, how it should be applied, and what the potential downsides and alternatives are, international organizations such as WHO should think carefully about using religion-based public health interventions in their regional programmes.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗
PubMed2006

Self-rated importance of religion predicts one-year outcome of patients with panic disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication are efficacious treatments for panic disorder, but individual attributes such as coping and motivation are important determinants of treatment response. A sample of 56 patients with panic disorder, treated with group cognitive-behavioral therapy, were reassessed 6 months and 12 months after initial assessment. We studied the effect of self-rated importance of religion, perceived stress, self-esteem, mastery, and interpersonal alienation on outcome as measured by the General Severity Index of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI.GSI). Importance of religion was a predictor of BSI.GSI symptom improvement at 1 year. Over time, improvement was seen for the religion is very important subgroup in the BSI.GSI and Perceived Stress Scales. This study suggests that one mechanism by which high importance of religion reduces psychiatric symptoms is through reducing perceived stress.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

The influence of faith and religion and the role of religious and community leaders in prenatal decisions for sickle cell disorders and thalassaemia major.

OBJECTIVES: Religion is believed to have a significant impact on individuals from minority ethnic groups when making decisions about prenatal genetic screening, prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy. This study aimed to explore the views of individuals from South-Asian and African-Caribbean communities towards termination of pregnancy for sickle cell disorders and thalassaemia major and the influence of (1) faith and religion, (2) perceived severity of the conditions, and (3) religious and community leaders. METHODS: The study explored the views of (1) individuals from four faith communities (Pakistani Muslims, Indian Hindus, Indian Sikhs, African-Caribbean Christians), using eight focus groups, and (2) parents of children with sickle cell disorders and thalassaemia major, using two focus groups and three interviews. RESULTS: Participants' accounts suggest that they generally considered religion and faith as an important factor in the decision-making process, but the perceived severity of the condition would play a more important role. Religious and community leaders were believed to have little role to play in the decision-making process. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasise the importance of recognising diversity within different faith groups and moving away from stereotypical views based on people's ethnicity or religion, and to consider the beliefs and preferences of individuals.

Abortion, Eugenic↗
PubMed1994

Religion and health: is there an association, is it valid, and is it causal?

This paper reviews evidence for a relationship between religion and health. Hundreds of epidemiologic studies have reported statistically significant, salutary effects of religious indicators on morbidity and mortality. However, this does not necessarily imply that religion influences health; three questions must first be answered: "Is there an association?", "Is it valid?", and, "Is it causal?" Evidence presented in this paper suggests that the answers to these respective questions are "yes," "probably," and "maybe." In answering these questions, several issues are addressed. First, key reviews and studies are discussed. Second, the problems of chance, bias, and confounding are examined. Third, alternative explanations for observed associations between religion and health are described. Fourth, these issues are carefully explored in the context of Hill's well-known features of a causal relationship. Despite the inconclusiveness of empirical evidence and the controversial and epistemologically complex nature of religion as an epidemiologic construct, this area is worthy of additional investigation. Further research can help to clarify these provocative findings.

Bias↗
PubMed1996

How religion influences morbidity and health: reflections on natural history, salutogenesis and host resistance.

This paper surveys the field that has come to be known as the epidemiology of religion. Epidemiologic study of the impact of religious involvement, broadly defined, has become increasingly popular in recent years, although the existence, meaning and implications of an apparently salutary religious effect on health have not yet been interpreted in an epidemiologic context. This paper attempts to remedy this situation by putting the "epidemiology" into the epidemiology of religion through discussion of existing empirical findings in terms of several substantive epidemiologic concepts. After first providing an overview of key research findings and prior reviews of this field, the summary finding of a protective religious effect on morbidity is examined in terms of three important epidemiologic concepts: the natural history of disease, salutogenesis and host resistance. In addition to describing a theoretical basis for interpreting a religion-health association, this paper provides an enumeration of common misinterpretations of epidemiologic findings for religious involvement, as well as an outline of hypothesized pathways, mediating factors, and salutogenic mechanisms for respective religious dimensions. It is hoped that these reflections will serve both to elevate the status of religion as a construct worthy of social-epidemiologic research and to reinvigorate the field of social epidemiology.

Epidemiologic Methods↗
PubMed2006

Religion, infertility and assisted reproductive technology.

This chapter describes religion in general before discussing the centrality of its concern for family formation. In light of this, the impact of infertility on religious people is considered. Recognizing religion's cautiously positive attitude towards assisted reproductive technology (ART) as a potential ally in the project of family formation and the relief of infertility, two areas that have caused concern for the religions are discussed: perceived threats to marriage and the sanctity of the human embryo. Throughout the chapter, illustrations are drawn from particular religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. There are striking similarities in their concerns and in the range of their responses to ART. Ways in which medical personnel should take into account the religious dimensions of the experience of infertility in their care for patients are suggested.

Female↗
PubMed2006

Challenges to the reproductive-health needs of African women: on religion and maternal health utilization in Ghana.

How relevant is religion to our understanding of maternal health (MH) service utilization in sub-Saharan Africa? We ask this question mainly because while the effect of religion on some aspects of reproductive behavior (e.g., fertility, contraception) has not gone unnoticed in the region, very few studies have examined the possible link with MH service utilization. Understanding this link in the context of sub-Saharan Africa is particularly relevant given the overriding influence of religion on the social fabric of Africans and the unacceptably high levels of maternal mortality in the region. As African countries struggle to achieve their stipulated reductions in maternal and child mortality levels by two-thirds by 2015 as part of the Millennium Development Goals, the need to examine the complex set of macro- and micro-factors that affect maternal and child health in the region cannot be underestimated. Using data from the 2003 Ghana Demographic Survey, we found religion (measured by denominational affiliation) to be a significant factor in MH use. This is true even after we had controlled for socio-economic variables. In general, Moslem and traditional women were less likely to use such services compared with Christians. The findings are discussed with reference to our theoretical framework and some policy issues are highlighted.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Religion and women's health in Ghana: insights into HIV/AIDs preventive and protective behavior.

Since the late 1970s when the first cases of HIV/AIDS were identified in Africa, there has been an upsurge of research on the epidemic. Although religious involvement may be germane to AIDS protective and risk behavior, few of these studies deal with religion and AIDS. This article contributes to the discourse on religion and health in Africa by analysing the interrelationship between religion and AIDS behavior in Ghana, a West African country at the early stages of the AIDS epidemic, and one where religious activities are more pronounced. We explore whether a woman's knowledge of HIV/AIDS is associated with her religious affiliation, and whether religious affiliation influences AIDS preventive (protective) attitudes. Findings from our analysis of Ghanaian data indicate that religious affiliation has a significant effect on knowledge of AIDS. However, we did not find religious affiliation to be associated with changes in specific protective behavior, particularly the use of condoms. The limitations and implications of the study are discussed, promising directions for further research on religion and AIDS protective and risk behaviors are also discussed, and the design and development of culturally sensitive programs to help in the ongoing AIDS prevention efforts in the region are proposed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2003

Religion and spirituality. Linkages to physical health.

Evidence is presented that bears on 9 hypotheses about the link between religion or spirituality and mortality, morbidity, disability, or recovery from illness. In healthy participants, there is a strong, consistent, prospective, and often graded reduction in risk of mortality in church/service attenders. This reduction is approximately 25% after adjustment for confounders. Religion or spirituality protects against cardiovascular disease, largely mediated by the healthy lifestyle it encourages. Evidence fails to support a link between depth of religiousness and physical health. In patients, there are consistent failures to support the hypotheses that religion or spirituality slows the progression of cancer or improves recovery from acute illness but some evidence that religion or spirituality impedes recovery from acute illness. The authors conclude that church/service attendance protects healthy people against death. More methodologically sound studies are needed.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2001

[Psychotherapy and religion: a survey of Northern Bavarian psychotherapists].

By taking a survey of physicians and psychologists accredited as psychotherapists in Franconia (northern Bavaria), we attempted to draw conclusions about the importance of religion for the therapists themselves and for their therapeutic settings. 253 physicians and 78 psychologists returned usable questionnaires (a return rate of 70% for each group). 30% of each group were non-denominational, significantly more men than women were not religious or considered themselves "agnostic/atheistic." Catholic therapists appeared to be more loyal toward their church and more open-minded toward religion in general than protestants and non-denominationals, respectively. Around 1/5 of the psychologists had prayed for their patients. Among the psychoanalysts there were no fewer non-denominationals or agnostics/atheists than among physician/psychotherapists or behavioural therapists. The physician/psychoanalysts classified the role of religion as less important than physician/psychotherapists; however, there were marked differences between the psychoanalytic schools. Many therapists could imagine consulting a spiritual counselor in appropriate cases. The results indicate a correlation between the subjective attitude of therapists toward religion and their handling of this topic in therapeutic practice.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1990

Postabortion dysphoria and religion.

This study explores psychosocial factors, especially religion, in women identified as dysphoric 1 to 15 years after abortion. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) and a demographic questionnaire were mailed to patient-led support groups for women who had poorly assimilated a previous abortion experience. Of the 150 surveys mailed, 71 (47%) were returned. Thirty-three women (46%) stated they had changed to a Fundamentalist or Evangelical church. On the MCMI, members of these conservative denominations scored significantly lower on the subscales for passive-aggressive behavior, ethanol abuse, and avoidance. Religion was strongly perceived by the women as playing a healing role. These findings suggest that conservative personal values may be more critical in understanding attitudes toward abortion than other demographic characteristics. Previous follow-up studies that reported no change in postabortion religiosity may have been too short to detect changes in religion. Implications for treatment of postabortion dysphoria include sensitivity to patients' religious beliefs, with support for the healing aspects of their religion.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1999

Religion, personality, and aging: a life span perspective.

A life span model of development provides the framework for examining the relation between religion and personality in aging persons. This article emphasizes the interplay of constancy and change in adult religious life. Important contextual factors that influence religion and personality are noted. A discussion of generativity and ego integrity shows how the maturing personality can embrace religiously motivated acts of justice and mercy as well as a deepening of spiritual life. Also discussed are the ways religion encourages generativity and ego integrative processes. The article concludes with suggestions for future studies of religion, personality, and aging utilizing a life span model of development.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Religion and the forgiving personality.

Forgiveness is a concept with deep religious roots. It is also a basic social and psychological phenomenon. In this article, we explore the links between forgiveness and religion by surveying how they are linked in the major monotheistic world religions, and how they appear to be linked empirically. In attempting to account for the current body of empirical findings, we propose four potential substantive and methodological explanations that should be explored in future studies. Because the concept of forgiveness is (a) both spiritual and social-psychological in nature, and (b) possibly linked to some measures of human health and well-being (concerns that have traditionally been of interest to both reseachers in personality and researchers in religion), the concept of forgiveness could be an important common ground for future research on the interface of religion and personality.

Attitude↗