Health Through Faith and Community A Study Resource © 1998 Ed Canda

Session 2 Faith and Physical Health Health Through Faith and Community © 2001 Aaron Ketchell

Health Through Faith and Community Overhead 2.1 – Scientific Connections Between Faith & Physical Health In a 1998 study, 440 patients at a suburban family medicine clinic were randomly surveyed. Participants were asked about their level of healthfulness and their personal connection with God or a Higher Power. Results demonstrated that persons with a high or moderately high relationship with God were much more likely to experience better health. As the research team noted: Differences in health were greatest between patients having a low level of spirituality and those with either moderate or high levels. (McBride, Arthur, Brooks & Pilkington, 1998, pp )

Health Through Faith and Community Overhead 2.1 – Scientific Connections Between Faith & Physical Health Question: In your opinion, how can a relationship with God promote overall well-being?

Health Through Faith and Community Overhead 2.1 – Scientific Connections Between Faith & Physical Health In a 1998 study, researchers examined nearly 4,000 people aged sixty-five and older. They discovered that people who both attended religious services at lease once a week and prayed or studied the Bible at least daily had consistently lower blood pressure than those that did so less frequently or not at all: Furthermore, regular participants in religious activities were 40 percent less likely to have diastolic hypertension, a leading contributor to heart attacks and strokes. (Koenig et al., 1998, pp )

Health Through Faith and Community Overhead 2.1 – Scientific Connections Between Faith & Physical Health Question: In your opinion, why might attending religious services or being involved in a faith community lead to health benefits such as lower blood pressure?

Health Through Faith and Community Overhead 2.1 – Scientific Connections Between Faith & Physical Health In a 1999 study, a sample of more than 21,000 American adults tracked over a nine-year period was examined. Researchers found that attending a religious service more than once per week raises the possibility of greater longevity. Dr. Robert Hummer and colleagues at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin reported that: For overall population, the life expectancy gap between those who attend more than once a week and those who never attend is over seven years. (Hummer, Rogers, Nam & Ellison, 1999, pp. 1-13)

Health Through Faith and Community Overhead 2.1 – Scientific Connections Between Faith & Physical Health Question: In your opinion, why would involvement in a spiritual community increase ones longevity?