| Topic: |
Science > Abortion |
| User: |
"Osprey" |
| Date: |
15 Apr 2005 11:28:07 AM |
| Object: |
Religious individuals are healthier study says |
http://www.technicianonline.com/story.php?id=010607
Posted: 11.16.2004
Tara Zechini
Religious people live longer and healthier lives than their non-religious
counterparts, according to several studies released by Duke University
Medical Center recently.
While the studies concentrated on older adults, researcher Harold G. Koenig,
professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and associate professor of
medicine at Duke University, stated that the results pertain to college
students as well.
"The findings apply to people who are under stress. Age doesn't matter as
much as stress level does," Koenig said.
Koenig's research has found that religious people spend less time in the
hospital, are healthier, recover faster and avoid depression or recover from
it quickly.
"Depression is oftentimes evidence that the person is unable to cope with a
life stress or loss. Religion helps people to make sense of traumatic
events, death of a loved one or even a failure in school," Koenig said.
"Religion gives them hopeÉthey can pray to God to give them strength to get
through the situation."
Lisa Waller, a junior in biological sciences, believes that being a person
of faith makes people more optimistic about life.
"When you're living for God, you're living life with purpose and you don't
really worry about when you're going to die. You know it's going to be
wonderful -- heaven is going to be great,"Waller said.
Research also shows that people of faith are less likely to use addictive
substances.
In his article "The Healing Power of Faith," Koenig stated that people who
attend church weekly have about 1/3 the rate of alcohol abuse and are about
1/3 as likely to smoke as those who seldom participate in congregational
worship.
Religious youth show significantly lower levels of drug and alcohol abuse,
premature sexual involvement and criminal delinquency than their
non-religious peers, according to Koenig.
"All of the laws of the church seem to have health benefits. It strongly
advocates against things like smoking and drinking," Koenig said. "These are
practical rules."
Michael Pendlebury, department head of N.C. State's philosophy and religion
program, said that he believes it is possible that people who attend
religious events regularly would be less likely to abuse substances because
they lead ordered lives.
"But I also think that anyone who lived structured and disciplined lives
would be less likely to abuse substances and therefore be more healthy,"
Pendlebury said. "I would be surprised if atheists who live well-organized
lives led less healthy lives."
Although the research focused predominately on people with Judeo-Christian
beliefs, Koenig said that Christianity does not appear to be the only
healing faith.
"The existence of God isn't required for them to work. Social organizations
like the church, synagogue, mosque or temple help guide people in their
decisions that ultimately seem to be health enhancing," Koenig said.
Koenig has been researching the relationship between religion and health for
almost twenty years. When he was a family physician in training in the early
1980s he noticed that many patients were relying on their religious beliefs
to handle the stress.
"They would talk about prayer and reading scripture," Koenig said. "These
patients were less depressed and more likely to care for themselves and
religious faith was a major factor in helping many patients to cope."
Koenig noticed that there was not much research in medical literature that
looked at religion and health and he felt the need to research the
relationship because it was clinically applicable.
"Its something doctors need to be aware of," Koenig said.
While doctors cannot recommend, prescribe or endorse religion, Koenig said
it is important for doctors to support the beliefs that make the patient
healthy.
In the health magazine "Vibrant Life," which advocates prevention rather
than diagnosis and treatment, syndicated health columnist Peter Gott said,
"spirituality is associated with health benefits, not because of divine
intervention but because the various aspects of a religious life promote
behavior and attitudes that are healthful."
Bobby Riggs, a senior in statistics, is hesitant to accept the relationship
between religion and health.
"Being a statistician, correlation studies between two unrelated concepts
are always hard to believe," Riggs said.
On the other hand, Sarah Sawyer, a junior in industrial engineering and a
self-proclaimed evangelical Christian, thinks the relationship is
"definitely possible."
Kelly Taylor, a sophomore in psychology, is doing her own research on the
relationship between health and religion for psychology class and is using
one of Koenig's questionnaires.
"I do think the research is true. As a Christian, I think that you
understand that faith helps you handle stressful times," Taylor said.
One of the largest studies to date on the subject by researchers at the
University of California at Berkeley produced similar results in a 28-year
study of 5,000 people aged 21 to 65 years old.
The study found that people who attended religious services at least once a
week had a 23 percent lower risk of dying over the study period than people
who attended less frequently.
.
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| User: "Attila" |
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| Title: Re: Religious individuals are healthier study says |
15 Apr 2005 08:06:44 PM |
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On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:28:07 -0400, "Osprey" <noneedtoknow@mail.com>
in alt.abortion with message-id <7vqdnRbqzbITdsLfRVn-rg@comcast.com>
wrote:
Off topic.
.
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| User: "osprey" |
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| Title: Re: Religious individuals are healthier study says |
16 Apr 2005 12:01:35 AM |
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Attila wrote:
On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:28:07 -0400, "Osprey" <noneedtoknow@mail.com>
in alt.abortion with message-id <7vqdnRbqzbITdsLfRVn-rg@comcast.com>
wrote:
Off topic.
Yep, sure is.
Done on purpose too.
.
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| User: "David W. Barnes" |
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| Title: Re: Religious individuals are healthier study says |
16 Apr 2005 01:57:28 AM |
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In article <1113627695.531915.150540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
osprey <noneedtoknow@mail.com> wrote:
Attila wrote:
On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:28:07 -0400, "Osprey" <noneedtoknow@mail.com>
in alt.abortion with message-id <7vqdnRbqzbITdsLfRVn-rg@comcast.com>
wrote:
Off topic.
Yep, sure is.
Done on purpose too.
Because you want attention?
.
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| User: "osprey" |
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| Title: Re: Religious individuals are healthier study says |
16 Apr 2005 02:03:39 AM |
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David W. Barnes wrote:
In article <1113627695.531915.150540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
osprey <noneedtoknow@mail.com> wrote:
Attila wrote:
On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:28:07 -0400, "Osprey"
<noneedtoknow@mail.com>
in alt.abortion with message-id
<7vqdnRbqzbITdsLfRVn-rg@comcast.com>
wrote:
Off topic.
Yep, sure is.
Done on purpose too.
Because you want attention?
That would be your department.
Because the study is interesting and atheist like you can whine about
it later.
.
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| User: "Attila" |
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| Title: Re: Religious individuals are healthier study says |
16 Apr 2005 07:13:31 AM |
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On 15 Apr 2005 22:01:35 -0700, "osprey" <noneedtoknow@mail.com> in
alt.abortion with message-id
<1113627695.531915.150540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com> wrote:
Attila wrote:
On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:28:07 -0400, "Osprey" <noneedtoknow@mail.com>
in alt.abortion with message-id <7vqdnRbqzbITdsLfRVn-rg@comcast.com>
wrote:
Off topic.
Yep, sure is.
Done on purpose too.
Why am I not surprised? After all, I saw your identity on the
origional.
.
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| User: "osprey" |
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| Title: Re: Religious individuals are healthier study says |
16 Apr 2005 08:09:07 AM |
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Attila wrote:
On 15 Apr 2005 22:01:35 -0700, "osprey" <noneedtoknow@mail.com> in
alt.abortion with message-id
<1113627695.531915.150540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com> wrote:
Attila wrote:
On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:28:07 -0400, "Osprey"
<noneedtoknow@mail.com>
in alt.abortion with message-id
<7vqdnRbqzbITdsLfRVn-rg@comcast.com>
wrote:
Off topic.
Yep, sure is.
Done on purpose too.
Why am I not surprised? After all, I saw your identity on the
origional.
That was just for you, with all your talk of religion. Glad you enjoyed
it...err..I mean ran from it.
.
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| User: "David W. Barnes" |
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| Title: Re: Religious individuals are healthier study says |
16 Apr 2005 10:26:52 AM |
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In article <1113656947.370740.154670@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
osprey <noneedtoknow@mail.com> wrote:
Attila wrote:
On 15 Apr 2005 22:01:35 -0700, "osprey" <noneedtoknow@mail.com> in
alt.abortion with message-id
<1113627695.531915.150540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com> wrote:
Attila wrote:
On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:28:07 -0400, "Osprey"
<noneedtoknow@mail.com>
in alt.abortion with message-id
<7vqdnRbqzbITdsLfRVn-rg@comcast.com>
wrote:
Off topic.
Yep, sure is.
Done on purpose too.
Why am I not surprised? After all, I saw your identity on the
origional.
That was just for you, with all your talk of religion. Glad you enjoyed
it...err..I mean ran from it.
Osprey - the one trick pony.
.
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