Religious affiliations, religious practices, and health behaviors in US South Asians

This study examined how religious affiliations and religious practices are related to health behaviors and clinical health behavior-related outcomes in US South Asians, an under-researched group.

A novel religion/spirituality questionnaire was used in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis Among South Asians Living in America study (N = 983), the most comprehensive population-based health study of US South Asians. Analyses relied on covariate-adjusted multiple regression.

Religious attendance was associated with higher ideal diet scores and lower alcohol use. Group prayer was associated with lower physical activity. Solitary prayer was associated with lower ideal body mass index (BMI) scores. Scripture reading was associated with higher ideal BMI scores and lower alcohol use. Yoga was associated with higher Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores, higher ideal diet, higher physical activity, higher ideal smoking scores, higher ideal BMI scores, and lower alcohol use. Hindu/Jain affiliation was associated with higher ideal diet, and Muslim affiliation with lower LE8, lower ideal diet, lower physical activity, and less alcohol use. Sikh affiliation was associated with lower ideal BMI scores and more alcohol use.

This study advanced understanding of the role of religious affiliations and practices in health behaviors and related clinical outcomes in US South Asians. Results highlighted yoga and religious attendance as particularly important topics for future study. Religious affiliation results suggest that among US South Asians, nonaffiliates, Muslims, and Sikhs may be populations in need of scholarly and programmatic attention regarding particular health behavior and clinical outcomes.