Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
A comparison of religious orientation and health between Whites and Hispanics
Ray M Merrill1, Patrick Steffen, Bradley D Hunter
1Department of Health Science, College of Life Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. Ray_Merrill@byu.edu
Abstract:
The study of religious orientation thus far has neglected the influence of race/ethnicity as well as all four religious orientations (intrinsic, extrinsic, pro-religious and nonreligious) in explaining differences in both physical and psychological health. A representative sample of 250 Hispanics and 236 non-Hispanic Whites in Utah was drawn and analysed for differences in health (self-rated health, life satisfaction, exercise) according to race/ethnicity, religious orientation and religious attendance. Responses to the Religious Orientation Scale differed significantly by race/ethnicity, indicating that future studies of religious orientation should take cultural context into account. For both Whites and Hispanics, pro-religious individuals reported the highest life satisfaction scores, which highlight the utility of employing the fourfold religious orientation typology.
Related Concept Videos
Surveys
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...
Concepts of Health and Illness