Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
New BYU study finds religious participation linked to better physical health
Study reviewed top 2,800 studies on religious participation and 15 areas of health.
By Rodric Hurdle-Bradford | FāVS News Reporter
Brigham Young University’s Wheatley Institute has released the second study in its “Religion and Human Flourishing” series, a three-part look at the mental, physical and social benefits of regular religious participation.
The study finds large increases in positive health habits and long-term health outcomes for people who participate regularly in religious organization activities. The first study in the series focused on mental health benefits; this second one covers 15 distinct areas of physical health. A third report, on the social benefits of religious participation, is set for release June 25.
The findings resonate in the Pacific Northwest, a region frequently cited in national surveys as among the least religious in the country — a contrast Joe A. Olive has noticed firsthand. Olive, who lives in Vancouver, Washington, and is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a denomination with a strong focus on holistic health and well-being, has attended Saturday services regularly throughout his life.
“I know for a fact the healthiest I have been in life has been when I am also getting to church regularly,” Olive said. “I have seen my church-going relatives live longer lives, so this report confirmed everything I have seen firsthand.”
Reviewing the best of the best
BYU researchers reviewed the top 5% — about 2,800 studies — in the field of religion and health, drawn from a pool of 60,000 studies featured in “Handbook of Religion and Health,” third edition. The handbook was written by Harold G. Koenig, Tyler J. VanderWeele and John R. Peteet, scholars who have played a central role in shaping the scientific study of religion and health.
Those research teams also defined the 15 distinct categories of physical health examined, ranging from smoking to strokes. Any study with a neutral finding was dismissed.
“This is the most objective and comprehensive way possible to take the best studies and see what the best science tells us about religion and health,” said Loren Marks, an Oregon native and Wheatley Institute faculty fellow and professor of family life at BYU, who served as lead researcher on the study.
“I have studied the connections between religion, health and family relationships for 30 years, but even I was shocked about the high positive-to-negative ratios these combined studies showed about the physical benefits of regular religious participation,” he said.
Proof positive
Overall, the review found a 7-to-1 positive correlation between regular religious participation and physical health. The earlier study in the series found a 10-to-1 positive correlation between regular religious participation and mental health.
The strongest correlation was with non-smoking. Marks found 90 studies linking regular religious participation to nonsmoking, compared with only one study showing a negative correlation.
Another notable result was a 43-to-1 ratio of studies showing positive effects of regular religious participation on preventing substance abuse and addiction.
“As a social scientist, I am not used to seeing ratios this large,” Marks said. “I am used to seeing 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 ratios that are accepted in the industry as large ratios, but these are significantly large ratios that are profound, and the American public needs to be aware of these findings.”
Additional positive ratios turned up across several areas — from 4-to-1 in diet and weight management to 6-to-1 in regular religious participation and engagement in physical activity.
Threshold for the theory
Marks and his fellow researchers acknowledge a real participation threshold has to be met to see the benefits identified in the study. Simply watching church services on television or viewing religious clips on social media doesn’t replace the ongoing religious organization activity needed to see the benefits the study found.
“There is a real threshold effect we saw that participants only saw measurable benefits when they attended worship services at least weekly or more often across a long period of time,” said Marks. “We are not talking about going occasionally on Christmas, Easter and Mother’s Day. We are talking about those people who are constantly participating in organized religious activities.. These people show a dramatic increase in health benefits even over those who are moderately involved.”
Findings like these, Marks said, make the case for collaboration between traditional academic institutions and religious organizations, pairing the research strengths of both.
“All [institutions] have our own blind spots, so when we work together, we bring out the strengths of our scientists and research teams,” Marks said. “When we all work together, everyone wins.”
FāVS News uses professional journalists and thoughtful commentary to explore faith, values and ethics. Support journalism like this by making a tax-deductible donation. FāVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. © FāVS News. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted only to authorized media partners or with written permission.
