Czech and Slovak Members of Religious Institutes: Their Health in Comparison to the General Population.

Dana Jaksicova,Vit Husek,Lukas Novak,Peter Tavel,Klara Malinakova

doi:10.3390/ijerph18199944

Dana Jaksicova, Vit Husek + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18199944

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Abstract

This study examines the general health of consecrated persons (CP) in the Czech Republic (CZ) and in Slovakia (SK) compared to control samples of the Czech population. The sample of 293 CP participants (age: M = 47.52, SD = 9.57, females: 78.88%, 180 Czechs, 213 Slovaks) was compared with two control samples, one of which was nationally representative. Comparing CP with the general population, we measured the frequency of recent health complaints, the occurrence of chronic illnesses, general health and the individual chronotype. Compared to the representative sample, CP had a higher chance of suffering from pelvis minor pain and obesity but a lower chance of diabetes. Furthermore, CP had higher odds of having worse general health. Comparing “larks” with “night owls” among CP, the “night owls” had a significantly higher chance of suffering from worse general health. “Night owl” CP also seem to suffer more from backache and depression/anxiety and to have more problems with falling asleep. Compared to the overall society, CP in CZ and SK tend to have similar or worse general health. The results differ from the findings in the US, pointing to the positive health effects of the spiritual experience and structured daily routine of CP. Thus, this study shows the importance of more detailed research on the way of life of Czech and Slovak CP to determine the factors with the most negative health effects.

Highlights

The aim of the study was to assess the relation between living as a consecrated persons (CP) in religious institutes in the Czech Republic and in the Slovak Republic and general health
Compared to a nationally representative Czech sample, the results showed a lower probability of suffering from diabetes in CP
Czech Republic and Slovak Republic tend to have similar or slightly worse general health compared to the majority society

Summary

Introduction

Persons who have consecrated themselves through their lifelong commitment to God and to a certain religious institute represent a minority group belonging mostly to the. Roman Catholic Church [1,2]. This group differs from the majority society in several aspects, and its way of life gives rise to many questions [3,4]. The fundamental role of spirituality [5] and religiosity [6], a hierarchically structured community and subordination to authority, binding statutes and a daily routine [7,8], gender uniformity and resignation regarding sexual relationships and family life [9] are among the main specifics of living in a religious institute. Members of a Catholic order can be regarded as a homogenous population with a number of common characteristics on the individual and socioeconomic levels [13]

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