Religious involvement and U.S. adult mortality.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology of Religion
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Religious attendance is a significant social behavior with potential health implications.
• Previous research suggests a link between religious involvement and longevity, but mechanisms require further elucidation.
• Understanding these associations is crucial for public health initiatives and social science research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model the association between religious attendance and overall/cause-specific mortality in U.S. adults.
• To investigate the roles of sociodemographic, health, and behavioral factors in this association.
• To quantify the impact of religious attendance on life expectancy.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey-Multiple Cause of Death linked file.
• Employed statistical modeling to analyze the relationship between religious attendance frequency and mortality risk.
• Controlled for sociodemographic, health status, and behavioral variables.

Main Results:

• Religious attendance demonstrated a graded association with mortality; never attending was linked to 1.87 times higher death risk compared to attending >1/week.
• This association translates to a seven-year difference in life expectancy at age 20.
• Health selectivity partially explained the effect, but social ties and behavioral factors also played a role.

Conclusions:

• Religious attendance is a significant protective factor against mortality in U.S. adults.
• The benefits extend beyond health selection, involving social and behavioral pathways.
• Findings highlight the importance of religious participation for public health and longevity across various causes of death.