Frequency Of Religious Attendance Research Articles

Religious change of new immigrants in the Netherlands: The event of migration

Using data on recently arrived immigrants in the Netherlands, I study the role of migration in religious attendance and praying. For the majority of immigrants, the frequency of religious attendance and praying remains the same after migration, but a substantial group shows religious decline. I observe this drop of religiousness for both attendance and praying, but the drop is much more pronounced for attendance. Whereas 40% participate less often in Holland than before migrating, frequency of praying dropped among 17% only. The degree of religious continuity and decline differs dramatically across immigrant groups. Conditional upon pre-migration religiousness, I find that the “older”, well-established and numerically larger migrant groups of Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese and Antilleans more frequently attend religious meetings and pray than the “new” and smaller groups of Poles and Bulgarians. Religious continuity and decline seem less dependent on individual experiences.

Suicidal behaviours in adolescents in Nova Scotia, Canada: protective associations with measures of social capital

Few studies of adolescent suicidality have examined its associations with social capital. We explored associations of measures of individual level social capital with self-reported suicide ideation and suicide attempt in adolescents in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, controlling for other factors known to be associated with adolescent suicidality. We surveyed 1,597 grade 10-12 students at three high schools in 2006 using self-completion questionnaires. Both sexes were combined for analysis. Outcome measures were suicidal ideation and attempt in the previous year. Measures of social capital included perceptions of trustworthiness and helpfulness of others at school, frequency of religious attendance and participation in extracurricular activities. Logistic regressions were carried out to determine associations of social capital with suicidality while controlling for other factors. Perceived trustworthiness and helpfulness were protective for suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in the previous year. In adjusted analyses, there were interactions of gender and social capital-females reporting more social capital were more protected from suicide attempt relative to males with similar levels of social capital. This study provides initial evidence of protective associations of individual level social capital with adolescent suicidality. Our findings suggest that among adolescents low social capital as measured by perceptions of trust and helpfulness of others at school may be a warning sign for suicidality, particularly for females. It may be helpful to inquire of young people how they perceive the trustworthiness and helpfulness of their school environment as a measure of how supportive that environment might be to them when they are facing challenges to their mental health.

Religiousness, Spirituality, and Psychological Distress in Taiwan

Most of the previous research on religion and mental health has focused solely on Western, predominantly Christian societies. Using a 2004 national survey of 1,881 adults in Taiwan, this study investigates the relationships between multidimensional measures of religiousness/spirituality and psychological distress in an Eastern context. Our findings differ from previous studies in the West, showing that: (1) religious-based supernatural beliefs are associated with more distress; (2) daily prayer is associated with less distress; (3) engaging in secular-based supernatural activities like fortune-telling is related to more distress; and (4) the frequency of religious attendance is unrelated to levels of distress. Broader theoretical and empirical implications of these findings are discussed.

Does Religious Involvement Generate or Inhibit Fear of Crime?

In victimology, fear of crime is understood as an emotional response to the perceived threat of crime. Fear of crime has been found to be affected by several variables besides local crime rates and personal experiences with victimization. This study examines the relationship between religion and fear of crime, an underexplored topic in the criminological literature. This gap is rather surprising given the central role religion has been found to play in shaping the attitudes and perceptions of congregants. In particular, religion has been found to foster generalized trust, which should engender lower levels of distrust or misanthropy, including that which is directed towards a general fear of crime. OLS regression was performed using data from the West Georgia Area Survey (n = 380). Controlling for demographic, community involvement, and political ideology variables, frequency of religious attendance was significantly and negatively associated with fear of property crime. This relationship remained even after a perceived neighborhood safety variable was introduced to the model. However, religious attendance was not significantly related to fear of violent crime, and religious orientation was unrelated to fear of property and violent crime. These results suggest that religious involvement conditionally reduces fear of crime, and the authors recommend that future research explore relationships between religion and fear of crime.

Discovering a Blissful Island: Religious Involvement and Happiness in Taiwan

While most of the existing research on religious involvement and happiness has been conducted in the Western, predominantly Christian setting, our study attempts to contribute to this literature by focusing on a non-Western, non-Christian society. Using a nationally representative data set from adult residents in Taiwan, we found that: (1) belief in karma was not associated with happiness; (2) belief in a supreme god was negatively linked with happiness, but it appeared to buffer the negative effect of health-related stress on happiness; (3) giving thanks, repenting, or praying every day was related with more happiness; and (4) frequency of religious attendance was unassociated with happiness. Implications of this work and future research directions are discussed.

Which Domains of Spirituality are Associated with Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Advanced Illness?

Anxiety and depression are common in seriously ill patients and may be associated with spiritual concerns. Little research has examined how concerns in different domains of spirituality are related to anxiety and depression. To examine the association of spiritual history and current spiritual well-being with symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with advanced illness. Cross-sectional cohort study Two hundred and ten patients with advanced illness, of whom 1/3 were diagnosed with cancer, 1/3 COPD, and 1/3 CHF. The mean age of the sample was 66 years, and 91% were Christian. Outcome measures were the Profile of Mood States' Anxiety Subscale (POMS) and 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD). Predictors were three subscales of the Spiritual History Scale measuring past religious help-seeking and support, past religious participation, and past negative religious experiences and two subscales of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-Being Scale measuring the role of faith in illness and meaning, peace, and purpose in life. We conducted multiple regression analyses, controlling for demographics, disease type and severity, self-rated religiousness/spirituality, and frequency of religious attendance and devotion. In adjusted analyses, greater spiritual well-being, including both beliefs about the role of faith in illness and meaning, peace, and purpose in life were associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety (P ≤ 0.001) and depression (P < 0.001). Greater past negative religious experiences were associated with more symptoms of anxiety (P = 0.04) and depression (P = 0.004). No other measures of spiritual history were associated with the outcomes. In this diverse sample of seriously ill patients, current spiritual well-being and past negative religious experiences were associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Healthcare providers should consider asking about current spiritual well-being and past negative religious experiences in their assessment of seriously ill patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Religious Congregations as Mediating Structures for Social Justice: a Multilevel Examination

Scholars in the field of community psychology have called for a closer examination of the mediating role that religious congregations serve in society, especially in relation to the promotion of social justice. The current study provides such an examination, offering a multilevel examination of religious individuals (n=5,123) nested within religious congregations (n=62) with a particular focus on how individual and congregational level variables (i.e. theological orientation, frequency of religious attendance, bonding and bridging social capital) predict individual prioritization of and participation in congregational social justice activities. Findings indicated that individual level theological orientation was associated with prioritization, and demographics and social capital bonding were associated with prioritization and participation. Furthermore, congregational bridging social capital was associated with the prioritization of justice, whereas congregational theological orientation moderated the associations between frequency of religious participation for both prioritization of and participation in congregational justice activities. These findings show that specific aspects of the congregational setting (i.e., congregational theological orientation) are important to the individual prioritization of and participation in social justice activities. These findings provide support for the role of religious congregations as mediating structures for social justice. Implications for future research are also discussed.

Religious Involvement, Social Engagement, and Subjective Health Status of Older Residents of Informal Neighborhoods of Nairobi

Although past research has extensively documented the effects of religious involvement and social integration on the health outcomes of older people, relatively little research has examined the relationship among older Africans. In this article, we examined the effects of religious affiliation and participation as well as forms of social engagement, including social support, sociability, and community participation on self-reported health. The study used data from a sample of older men and women (50 years and above) from two informal settlements in Nairobi Kenya. Differences in religious groups were statistically significant. Frequency of religious attendance was negatively associated with health, while the number of close friends, social support, and frequency of community participation were positively and independently related to self-reported health.

Religion and Attitudes Toward Divorce Laws Among U.S. Adults

This study examines religious differences in attitudes toward divorce laws among U.S. adults. Using pooled data from the 2000-2006 NORC General Social Surveys ( N = 5,683), we find that frequency of religious attendance and belief that the Bible is the Word of God are strong predictors of support for stricter laws governing divorce. Indeed, these religious indicators are much more important than conservative affiliation. Conversely, more secular individuals, that is, those who do not attend religious services and consider the Bible only a book of fables and moral teachings, are substantially less supportive of tightening existing divorce laws. Understanding the role of religion in shaping Americans’ attitudes toward divorce laws can illuminate the scope and boundaries of connections between the institutions of marriage and religion in the contemporary United States as well as inform policy implications for the future of divorce law reform.

The Association Between Church Attendance and Psychological Health in Northern Ireland: A National Representative Survey Among Adults Allowing for Sex Differences and Denominational Difference

This study extends previous research concerning the association between religion and psychological health in six ways: (1) by focusing clearly on religious attendance (church attendance); (2) by employing a robust measure of psychological distress (GHQ-12); (3) by studying a highly religious culture (Northern Ireland); (4) by taking sex differences into account (male or female); (5) by taking denominational differences into account (Catholic or Protestant); (6) and by obtaining a national representative sample (N=4,281 adults aged 16 and above). Results from a 2 (sex) by 2 (denomination) ANCOVA demonstrated that Catholics recorded significantly lower levels of psychological health compared to Protestants, and that females showed significantly lower levels of psychological health compared to males. In addition, females reported higher frequency of religious service attendance than males, and Catholics reported higher attendance rates than Protestants. A significant positive association was found between frequency of religious attendance and GHQ-12 scores, and this association was moderated by sex and denomination. In conclusion, the results suggest that there may be sex and denominational differences in further understanding the relationship between frequency of religious attendance and psychological health.

Blessed assurance: Religion, anxiety, and tranquility among US adults

A growing body of research investigates the possible relationships between religion and mental health. After developing a series of arguments linking various aspects of religion with anxiety and tranquility, we test relevant hypotheses using data from the 1996 General Social Survey. Results show that frequency of religious attendance and the belief in an afterlife are inversely associated with feelings of anxiety and positively associated with feelings of tranquility. However, frequency of prayer has no direct association with either outcome. Strong beliefs in the pervasiveness of sin are positively linked with anxiety but unrelated to tranquility. Finally, belief in an afterlife and frequency of prayer buffer the adverse effects of poor health and financial decline on anxiety. Implications of these findings are discussed along with study limitations and promising directions for future research.

Beliefs About Science and News Frames in Audience Evaluations of Embryonic and Adult Stem Cell Research

This study investigates the influence of demographic variables, beliefs about science, and news frames on ratings of ethics, credibility, and usefulness of embryonic and adult stem cell research. Framing affected only ratings of ethics, in interaction with type of stem cell, with a large difference between embryonic and adult stem cells in a political conflict frame and no difference in a scientific progress frame. Belief that science is neutral with respect to religion and morality was positively associated with ethics and usefulness ratings for embryonic research; frequency of religious attendance was positively associated with ethics, credibility, and usefulness ratings for adult research only. Humanities and social science majors tended to rate both the embryonic and adult research as more credible, as did participants with higher self-reported science interest and exposure. Quantitative analyses are supplemented with qualitative interview data.

The Effects of Religion and Gender on Well-Being, Substance Use, and Academic Engagement Among Rural Adolescents

The effects of religious attendance, religious importance, and gender on well-being, substance use, and academic engagement were examined among early adolescents ( N = 683) from rural schools. Results indicated that females viewed religion as more important than males, although the frequency of religious attendance did not differ for males and females. Hierarchical regression results revealed that religious importance was a more prominent protective factor than attendance against substance use even after accounting for parental support; however, no links were found between religiosity and depression or self-esteem. Adolescents who reported that religion was important in their lives reported lower school misbehavior and higher motivation, although those with high religious attendance had higher grades. Interaction effects indicated that religious importance was particularly salient for males compared to females in terms of enhanced school bonding and self-efficacy.

The Impact of Religiosity on the Sexual Behaviors of College Students

Sexuality is considered by most religious traditions to represent general temptation, procreation or a way to strengthen emotional bonds. The purpose of this study was to determine if frequency of religious attendance and perceived degree of religiosity could distinguish between those students who have and have not participated in selected sexual behaviors. Data were collected from a convenience sample of undergraduate students (n = 408) at a southeastern university. Students voluntarily completed a questionnaire in a regular classroom setting. The questionnaire elicited information regarding the frequency of attendance at religious services, perceived strength of religious feelings, perception of God's view of sex, and participation in the following sexual behaviors: sexual intercourse (ever, last year and last month), giving oral sex (ever and last month), receiving oral sex (ever and last month), and anal sex (ever). Data were analyzed using both univariate analysis (chi-square and analysis of variance) and logistic regression. Results indicated that religiosity variables, especially frequency of religious attendance and religious feelings, were significant predictors of sexual behavior. Results should be considered by those working with college students in the area of human sexuality.

Black Masculinity Matters in Attitudes Toward Gay Males

ABSTRACT Recent work on attitudes toward homosexuals promotes the view that males typically have more negative attitudes than females; and African Americans have more negative attitudes than their white counterparts. However, among African Americans, women are thought to have the greatest negative attitudes because they perceive themselves as competing for a limited pool of black male partners. This study uses the National Black Politics Study to examine African American gender differences in attitudes toward homosexual men. Multivariate findings show that of the variables analyzed: (1) Among African American females, age, income, education, and urban residence are statistically significant; and (2) among African American males, frequency of religious attendance was the only statistically significant variable. It is, therefore, argued that black masculinity explains the gendered differences and that negative attitudes within the African American community toward gay men contribute to debilitating both the physical and mental health of the entire black community.

Family discussion about organ donation among African Americans

Relatively little is known about family discussion concerning donation among African Americans in the United States, especially discussion predating the brain death of a family member and the donor request process. To explore the inclination of African Americans to engage in family discussion about organ donation and the characteristics of those who expressed a desire to their families to donate their organs upon death. Focus groups and a cross-sectional survey. A large metropolitan complex in Houston, Tex, with a relatively sizeable African American population. A total of 18 persons of African American background participated in 2 focus groups; 375 randomly selected African American residents were surveyed by questionnaire. Prodonation family discussion. Only 100% of subjects were found to be in the "action" (having had a prodonation discussion) or "maintenance" (having had a prodonation discussion and not inclined to alter one's wishes) stages with regard to family discussion. These subjects were not found distinguished from others by age, gender, education, or frequency of religious attendance. They were, however, found differentiated from others by feelings of diffuse support for donation, knowledge of donation, having read or heard a lot about donation, and by the belief that organ donation was not against one's religion-when these variables were individually considered. Yet, when these variables were simultaneously considered in a multivariate discriminant function analysis, diffuse support for donation no longer distinguished those in the action/maintenance stage from other subjects.

Family discussion about organ donation among African Americans.

Relatively little is known about family discussion concerning donation among African Americans in the United States, especially discussion predating the brain death of a family member and the donor request process. To explore the inclination of African Americans to engage in family discussion about organ donation and the characteristics of those who expressed a desire to their families to donate their organs upon death. Focus groups and a cross-sectional survey. A large metropolitan complex in Houston, Tex, with a relatively sizeable African American population. A total of 18 persons of African American background participated in 2 focus groups; 375 randomly selected African American residents were surveyed by questionnaire. Prodonation family discussion. Only 100% of subjects were found to be in the "action" (having had a prodonation discussion) or "maintenance" (having had a prodonation discussion and not inclined to alter one's wishes) stages with regard to family discussion. These subjects were not found distinguished from others by age, gender, education, or frequency of religious attendance. They were, however, found differentiated from others by feelings of diffuse support for donation, knowledge of donation, having read or heard a lot about donation, and by the belief that organ donation was not against one's religion-when these variables were individually considered. Yet, when these variables were simultaneously considered in a multivariate discriminant function analysis, diffuse support for donation no longer distinguished those in the action/maintenance stage from other subjects.

Religious Involvement and Status‐Bridging Social Capital

Is religious involvement positively associated with having influential friends or is religious involvement unrelated to this kind of social capital? Building on the distinction between the “bonding” and “bridging” aspects of social capital, I distinguish two kinds of bridging social capital—identity‐bridging and status‐bridging—that have been a source of terminological confusion. I examine the relationship between religious involvement and status‐bridging social capital by analyzing data from a large nationally representative survey of the U.S. adult population that included questions about friendships with elected public officials, corporation executives, scientists, and persons of wealth. The data show that membership in a religious congregation and holding a congregational leadership position are most consistently associated with greater likelihood of having these kinds of friendships. The data also show that frequency of religious attendance is largely unrelated to these measures of social capital and that there are some significant variations among religious traditions and size of congregation.

Gender differences in associations between religious attendance and mental health in Finland.

We investigated in a nationwide sample of the Finnish general population (869 women and 773 men) whether there were gender-differences in associations between religious attendance and mental well-being. Respondents were asked during telephone interviews about sociodemographic variables, frequency of religious attendance and social contacts, and perceived social and family support. Mental health was screened by means of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). More women than men (62% vs. 50%) attended religious events, and there was a corresponding difference in percentages relating to regular religious attendance (17% vs. 10%). Regular religious attendance was most common among those over 65 years of age. In women, minor mental disorder (GHQ-12 score > or = 3) was more common among those who never attended religious events than among the others (25% vs. 16%). In men there was no difference. In women, religious attendance associated positively with social contacts, in men with happy family life. In multivariate analyses an independent positive association between religious attendance and absence of minor mental disorder was found in women (adjusted OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.24) but not in men. These results suggest that there may be gender-differences in associations between religious attendance, social and family life, and mental health.

Measuring attitudes regarding bisexuality in lesbian, gay male, and heterosexual populations.

Five studies on the development and validation of the Attitudes Regarding Bisexuality Scale (ARBS) were conducted. Factor analysis of an initial pool of 80 items yielded 2 factors assessing the degree to which bisexuality is viewed as a tolerable, moral sexual orientation (Tolerance) and a legitimate, stable sexual orientation (Stability). Three forms of the ARBS were created: a form to assess attitudes about female and male bisexuality (i.e., ARBS-FM) and forms to assess attitudes about female bisexuality (i.e., ARBS-F) and male bisexuality (ARBS-M). These forms evidenced moderate-to-high internal consistency reliability in both lesbian and gay samples and heterosexual samples. In heterosexual women and men, subscales were most strongly related to attitudes toward lesbians and gay men; frequency of religious attendance; political ideology; and prior contact with lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. In lesbians and gay men, subscales correlated with prior experiences with bisexual people, desired contact with bisexual people, contact with heterosexual people, and sexual orientation identity.