Prayer and health outcomes in church lay leaders

This study examined the relationship of frequency of prayer on health outcomes in a national sample of 1,014 church lay leaders. The survey included questions on the frequency of prayer and the Medical Outcomes Study, Short Form 36 Health Survey, measuring eight categories of functional health. The results indicated a high level of functioning overall. Age was strongly related to most aspects of health in this sample. Frequent prayer was associated with poor physical functioning and poor ability to carry out role activities, but these relationships were not significant when the effect of age and gender was controlled. Frequent prayer was also significantly associated with high mental health scores, regardless of age or gender. This study supports the growing body of data suggesting a positive relationship between frequency of spiritual practices and mental health, even in a homogeneous sample of active church members.