Religiousness and Diseases in Europe: Findings from SHARE

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Religion
• Epidemiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Religiousness and health research indicates complex, sometimes opposing, epidemiological effects.
• Understanding different forms of religious practice is crucial for health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between two distinct forms of religiousness and disease risk.
• To differentiate the health impacts of "restful religiousness" versus "crisis religiousness".

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 23,864 individuals aged 50+ from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) wave 1 (2004-2005).
• Longitudinal follow-up of participants for 11 years to assess disease incidence.
• Analysis of associations between religious participation, prayer, and specific health conditions.

Main Results:

• Participation in religious organizations was linked to lower odds of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
• Longitudinally, religious organization participation was associated with lower cancer odds.
• Praying was longitudinally associated with higher odds of heart attack and high cholesterol.
• Highly religious individuals showed lower odds for stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

Conclusions:

• "Restful religiousness" (organization participation, prayer, religious education) appears associated with reduced risk for certain diseases.
• "Crisis religiousness" (praying only) showed limited evidence of increased disease risk, particularly heart attack.