High Intrinsic Religiosity Research Articles

Stress and inflammation among older adults: The moderating role of religiosity

ABSTRACT Chronic stress weakens the immune system and leads to heightened bodily inflammation, which in turn is linked with serious health conditions. This study examined whether religiosity moderates the relationship between stress and inflammation (measured by C-reactive Protein (CRP)). A sample of 4,734 community-dwelling older adults was drawn from the 2006 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between chronic stress (8-item index), inflammation (high CRP level), and religiosity (organizational, nonorganizational, and intrinsic), controlling for other factors. Higher levels of stress were significantly associated with high inflammation/CRP (p = .039). Further, intrinsic religiosity acted as a moderator of this relationship (p = .024), such that the relationship between stress and inflammation is lessened for persons with higher levels of intrinsic religiosity. Higher intrinsic religiosity attenuated the effects of stress on inflammation, suggesting that individuals with stronger religious commitment/motivation may better cope with stress.

An Investigation of Religion and Spirituality of Sexual Minorities in the United States: Exploring Perceptions, Intrinsic Religiosity, and Outness to Religious Communities

ABSTRACTWe investigated how sexual minority participants in the United States (N = 217; M age = 36.36 years) viewed organized religion and their relationships with a higher power. In addition, we examined the associations between levels of outness in religious communities, internalized heterosexism (IH), intrinsic religiosity, and depression. Open-ended responses revealed that views of organized religion fell into three categories—negative (57.9%), positive (9.1%), and ambivalent (33%)—and participants reported a variety of relationships to a higher power—existing relationship (61.5%), no relationship (19%), fractured relationship (4.6%), and some who felt unsure (10.8%). Participants with greater outness to a religious community reported less IH and higher intrinsic religiosity. Also, outness to a religious community moderated the association between IH and depression, such that there was not a significant association between IH and depression for individuals with low levels of outness. However, at average to high levels of outness, there was a significant association between IH and depression.

Protective and Harmful Effects of Religious Practice on Depression Among Jewish Individuals With Mood Disorders

Research suggests that religious practice has a small but consistent inverse relationship with depression, but recent work within the Jewish population has been equivocal. Following the behavioral model of depression, one explanation is that religious activity may provide positive reinforcement. We hypothesized that this would be true only for those who intrinsically value religion, and conversely, religious practice may be depressogenic for individuals lacking intrinsic motivation. We tested this possibility in a longitudinal sample of 160 Jewish individuals meeting DSM–IV criteria for a mood disorder. Multilevel autoregressive growth modeling suggested that controlling for past depressive symptoms, past intrinsic religiosity, and religious practice jointly predicted future depression. Individuals with high religious practice and high intrinsic religiosity reported lower future depressive symptoms, whereas those with high practice and low intrinsic religiosity reported higher depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that religious practice can have both protective and harmful effects, depending on internal values.

Family caregivers of elderly with dementia Relationship between religiosity, resilience, quality of life and burden.

ABSTRACTThere are gaps in knowledge regarding how the family caregiver deals with the burden of caring for elderly people with dementia.Objective:To evaluate the family caregivers’ perception of quality of life (QoL), burden, resilience and religiosity and relate them with cognitive aspects and occurrence of neuropsychiatric symptoms of elderly with dementia.Methods:Data from the QoL-AD scale, caregivers’ version, burden interview, resilience scale, Beck depression inventory and PDUREL of 50 family caregivers were correlated with disability assessment for dementia, neuropsychiatric inventory and clinical aspects of 50 elderly with dementia.Results:Linear regression showed that resilience is related with better perceived QoL (p<0.001), severity of dementia (p=0.008), higher intrinsic religiosity (IR) (p=0.044) and lower occurrence of depressive symptoms (p=0.001). Increased burden of family caregivers was associated with a higher occurrence of neuropsychiatric symptoms, education of the elder with dementia, and worse perceived QoL (p<0.001). Lower level of organizational religiosity was associated with severity of dementia.Conclusion:The most resilient caregivers had higher QoL and IR, fewer depressive symptoms, and cared for elders with more severe dementia. Cognitive and sociodemographic aspects, as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms, in the elderly with dementia were associated with QoL and greater caregiver burden.

A National Longitudinal Survey of Medical Students' Intentions to Practice Among the Underserved.

To explore students' intentions to practice in medically underserved areas. In January 2011, 960 third-year medical students from 24 MD-granting U.S. medical schools were invited to participate in a survey on their intention to practice in a medically underserved area. A follow-up survey was sent to participants in September 2011. Covariates included student demographics, medical school characteristics, environmental exposures, work experiences, sense of calling, and religious characteristics. Adjusted response rates were 564/919 (61.4%, first survey) and 474/564 (84.0%, follow-up survey). Among fourth-year medical students, an estimated 34.3% had an intention to practice among the underserved. In multivariate logistic regression modeling, predictors for intentions to practice among the underserved included growing up in an underserved setting (odds ratio [OR] range: 2.96-4.81), very strong sense of calling (OR range: 1.86-3.89), and high medical school social mission score (in fourth year: OR = 2.34 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.31-4.21]). International experience was associated with favorable change of mind in the fourth year (OR = 2.86 [95% CI, 1.13-7.24]). High intrinsic religiosity was associated with intentions to practice primary care in underserved settings (in fourth year: OR = 2.29 [95% CI = 1.13-4.64]). Growing up in medically underserved settings, work experience in religiously affiliated organizations, very strong sense of calling, and high medical school social mission score were associated with intentions to practice in underserved areas. Lack of formative educational experiences may dissuade students from considering underserved practice.

Loneliness: Its correlates and associations with health risk behaviours among university students in 25 countries

The aim of this cross-national study was to assess factors associated with loneliness and to determine the degree to which loneliness affects health status and risk behaviours among university students. Data were collected from 17 886 university students in 25 countries (females = 58.6%, from Africa = 33.5%). In multivariable logistic regression, loneliness was predicted by lower family wealth, living in a low or lower middle income country, and antecedent childhood. Moreover, psychosocial factors of perceived lack of control, low organised religious activity, high non-organised religious activity, high intrinsic religiosity, and low social support were associated with loneliness. Lonely students were also likely to self-report poor subjective health status, sleeping problems, short sleep duration, tobacco use, heavy internet use, aggressive behaviour, injury, and sexual risk behaviour. University students with loneliness may be assisted by preventive health interventions aimed at enhancing their subjective well-being.

Religiosity among patients with schizophrenia: An exploratory study.

Aim:This study aimed to compare the religiosity and religious coping of patients with schizophrenia with a healthy control group and to assess the correlation between the level of religiosity and religious coping with residual psychopathology, level of functioning, and quality of life (QOL).Methodology:Patients of schizophrenia were assessed on religiousness measure scale, duke religion index (DUREL), brief religious coping scale (RCOPE), positive and negative symptom scale, and World Health Organization QOL-BREF version.Results:Of the 100 patients of schizophrenia, 99% reported that they believed in God. About 60% of patients attended religious places either once a week or more and 56% of patients indulged in private religious activity at least once a day. Two-third of the participants had high intrinsic religiosity score. The mean score of positive religious coping (PRC) subscale was 14.56 and that for negative religious coping (NRC) subscale was 8.31. No significant difference was noted in the various domains of religious measure scale, DUREL, and PRC between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. However, compared to healthy controls, patients more often used NRC. Various aspects of religiosity (except for negative RCOPE score) correlated negatively with residual psychopathology and positively with functioning and QOL.Conclusion:Findings of this study suggest that high proportions of patients with schizophrenia are religious and this is similar to healthy controls in the community. Higher level of religiosity and more frequent use of religious coping are associated with lower level of psychopathology and better QOL.

The Relationship Between Religion and Risky Behaviors Among Iranian University Students.

One factor that protects an individual from risky behavior is religiosity, which is referred to as a shield against risky behaviors. Belief in God and religion plays an important role in young people's lives, and in comparison with their non-religious peers. They engage less frequently in risky behaviors, such as violence and sexual relations. The present study investigated the relationship between religiosity and engagement in risky behaviors among students from the Pishva branch of the Islamic Azad University, Tehran Province in Iran. This is a descriptive, analytic cross-sectional study. The sample was comprised of 448 students from different degree majors attending the University. Participants completed two questionnaires, including the Risk-Taking Scale and Duke University Religion Index. The data analyses used one-way ANOVAs and Pearson's correlations. This study found that students who engaged more often in organized religious activities and had higher intrinsic religiosity were less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as sexual risk taking, careless driving, violence, smoking, along with alcohol and drug abuse. Participants with higher involvement in private religious activities reported lower tendencies for the above-mentioned risky behaviors, except sexual risk taking. The findings of this study indicate that the different dimensions of religiousness are related to students' tendency to avoid risky behavior. Thus, it appears that religion may have a role to play in preventing risky taking behavior in Iran.

Self-efficacy beliefs, locus of control, religiosity and non-adherence to immunosuppressive medications in kidney transplant patients.

Adherence to immunosuppressive medication is essential for favourable kidney transplant outcomes. The present study aims to investigate how self-efficacy beliefs, health locus of control and religiosity are associated with adherence to immunosuppressives in post kidney transplant recipients. This is a cross-sectional study with 88 recipients with more than 1 year after transplantation. Three methods were used to classify patients as adherent or non-adherent: Basel Assessment of Adherence Scale for Immunosuppressives - BAASIS, the collateral report and blood levels of immunosuppressive medications. Self-efficacy, health locus of control, and religiosity were evaluated applying General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale and Duke University Religion Index, respectively. Non-adherence was modelled by uni- and multivariated analysis. Sixty-three percent of the patients were male, age 47.2 ± 12.9 years, and median post-transplant time 108.71 (49.0-266.0) months. We found 70.5% of patients were non-adherent through at least one method. Adherent patients presented higher self-efficacy scores (45.1 ± 4.9 vs 38.3 ± 8.6; P < 0.001) and higher intrinsic religiosity (14.0 ± 1.6 vs. 12.8 ± 2.5; P = 0.016) compared to the non-adherents. Organizational and non-organizational religiosity did not differ between these groups. By logistic regression, non-adherence was associated with lower self-efficacy (OR 0.81, IC 0.70-0.92, P = 0.002), chance locus of control (OR 1.23, IC 1.04-1.45, P = 0.016) and lower intrinsic religiosity (OR 0.56, IC 0.38-0.84, P = 0.006). Our study showed that self-efficacy, chance locus of control, and intrinsic religiosity were associated with non-adherence to immunosuppressives. A broader perception of the kidney transplant patient´s integrality can help health professionals to design strategies to promote adherence in this population.

Religiosity, race/ethnicity, and alcohol use behaviors in the United States.

Religiosity is a protective factor against many health problems, including alcohol use disorders (AUD). Studies suggest that religiosity has greater buffering effects on mental health problems among US Blacks and Hispanics than Whites. However, whether race/ethnic differences exist in the associations of religiosity, alcohol consumption and AUD is unclear. Using 2004-2005 NESARC data (analytic n = 21 965), we examined the relationship of public religiosity (i.e. frequency of service attendance, religious social group size), and intrinsic religiosity (i.e. importance of religious/spiritual beliefs) to frequency of alcohol use and DSM-IV AUD in non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks, Hispanics and NH Whites, and whether associations differed by self-identified race/ethnicity. Only public religiosity was related to AUD. Frequency of religious service attendance was inversely associated with AUD (NH Whites β: -0.103, p 0.05) or Hispanics (β: -0.002, p > 0.05). US adults reporting greater public religiosity were at lower risk for AUD. Public religiosity may be particularly important among NH Blacks, while intrinsic religiosity may be particularly important among NH Whites, and among Hispanics who frequently attend religious services. Findings may be explained by variation in drinking-related norms observed among these groups generally, and in the context of specific religious institutions.

Religiosity aspects in patients with epilepsy

The objectives of this study were to assess religiosity aspects in patients with epilepsy (PWEs) and controls and to determine whether such aspects were related to the samples' clinical, sociodemographic, and QOL-31 data. The Duke Religion Index was administered to 159 adult PWEs and 50 controls. The relationships between the Duke Religion Index and the study variables of the two groups were compared. Intrinsic religiosity (IR) and nonorganizational religiosity (NOR) were higher in PWEs than in controls. Logistic regression showed that being female (p=0.022) and having mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampus sclerosis (MTLE-HS) (p=0.003) were predictors of high organizational religiosity (OR) and that high NOR was associated with MTLE-HS (p=0.026) and controlled seizures. Further, only MTLE-HS (p=0.002) was predictive of high IR. The Duke Religion Index and QOLIE-31 scores were not related. Different forms of interictal religiosity are related to clinical aspects of epilepsy.

Intrinsic religiosity, resilience, quality of life, and suicide risk in depressed inpatients

BackgroundReligiosity is inversely related to depression and is directly associated with positive psychological outcomes. Nonetheless, there is no consensus on whether or how religiosity could impact and protect against depression. The present study evaluated the association between intrinsic religiosity and resilient psychological characteristics in depressed inpatients. MethodsA sample of 143 depressed patients was prospectively evaluated in an inpatient psychiatric treatment in South Brazil. High Intrinsic Religiosity (HIR) and Low Intrinsic Religiosity (LIR) patients were compared across socio-demographic information, clinical measures, religiosity, resilience and quality of life. A linear regression model was used to evaluate the association between intrinsic religiosity and resilience, and the Cohen d test was utilized to assess effect sizes. ResultsAt admission, HIR patients showed higher HAM-D (p=0.05), BPRS (p=0.02), GAF (p=0.02), and CGI (p=0.03) scores, lower educational levels (p=0.04), higher social support (p=0.05), and fewer previous suicide attempts (p=0.05). At discharge, HIR patients showed higher quality of life (p=0.001) and higher resilience (p=0.000), with a large effect size difference between groups (1.02). Based on a linear regression model (adjusted r=0.19, p=0.000), intrinsic religiosity was associated with resilience, controlling for covariates. ConclusionIn a sample of depressed inpatients, intrinsic religiosity was found to be associated with resilience, quality of life, and fewer previous suicide attempts. These findings support the relevance of religiosity assessments in mental health practice and support the hypothesis that resilient psychological characteristics may mediate the positive effects of intrinsic religiosity in depression.

Are religious people more caring? Exploring the impact of religiosity on charitable organizations in a developing country

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of religiosity on reasons that individuals volunteer. Additionally, this study will investigate the pro‐social attitudes towards helping others and charitable organizations. This study focuses on Indonesia where religion plays an important role in daily life. The data were derived from a convenience sampling at a large private university in Surabaya, Indonesia (N = 258). The results showed that individuals with high intrinsic and extrinsic personal religiosity were more likely to have ‘other‐oriented’ reasons when performing philanthropic activities. Nonetheless, religiosity did not influence attitudes of individuals towards helping others. This study contributes to the debate regarding the effect of religious values on pro‐social attitudes in the context of a developing country. Furthermore, the study provides social implications for researchers, policy makers and practitioners operating in a developing country. This is one of the first few studies exploring the impact of religion on attitude towards charitable organization in Indonesia.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Health Behaviour and Self-reported Academic Performance among University Students: An International Study

The aim of this study was to investigate health correlates of academic performance among university students from 26 low and middle income and emerging economy countries. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 20222 university students, 41.5% men and 58.5% women, with a mean age of 20.8 years (SD=2.8), from 26 countries across Africa, Asia and Americas. Overall, 28.4% reported excellent or very good, 65.5% good or satisfactory and 6.2% not satisfactory academic performance. Multivariate linear regression found that that sociodemographic factors (younger age, coming from a wealthier family background, lack of social support and high intrinsic religiosity), health behaviours (trying to eat fibre, avoiding fat and cholesterol, high levels of physical activity, no illicit drug use, not drinking and driving), and better mental health (no severe sleep problem and no moderate or severe depression) were associated self-reported academic performance. Several clustering health behaviours were identified which can be utilized in public health interventions. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p998

Abstract 1363: Associations between fatalistic beliefs, modesty concerns and breast cancer screening in the American Muslim community.

Abstract Background: Research on breast cancer screening among American Muslims is limited. The handful of studies conducted in the Muslim community, and research of South Asian and Arab Americans, a proportion of which are Muslim, consistently demonstrate rates of mammography screening markedly lower than the 81% Healthy 2020 target. Our prior work suggests that American Muslim health behaviors are strongly influenced by shared religious concepts such as the concern for modesty. We sought to assess mammography screening rates among a diverse sample of Muslims in Greater Chicago, and assess the relationships between religiosity, modesty concerns, fatalism and breast cancer screening in this group. Methods: We used a community-engaged research design partnering with the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago to survey a diverse sample of Muslim women frequenting mosques and community sites. The survey incorporated several measures of fatalism adapted to the Muslim context, a measure of discrimination, several measures of Islamic Religiosity and a pilot measure of Islamic modesty concern. Results: 254 women participated with 56 African Americans (24%), 70 Arab Americans (30%), and 84 South Asians (36%). 76% of participants had insurance, while 84% had access to a primary care physician and 78% reported high levels of modesty concern. 75% of the sample reported ever having a mammogram while 44% had a mammogram within the past 1-2 years. There was not a significant relationship between racial and ethnic status and mammography rates. On multivariate analysis adjusting for socioeconomic factors high ratings of religiosity were associated with increased odds of ever having a mammogram (OR=1.08, p&amp;lt;.01) while measures of fatalism, discrimination and modesty concern were not. Similarly in adjusted models having a mammogram biennially was negatively associated with positive religious coping (OR=0.33, p&amp;lt;.05), whereas measures of religiosity, fatalism, discrimination and modesty were not significantly associated. Increasing age, longer duration of US residency, higher levels of education, were positively associated with ever having mammograms as was PCP access with having a mammogram in the past two years. Conclusions: Contrary to our hypotheses modesty concerns and fatalistic beliefs were not significantly associated with mammography rates. Yet, on one hand higher intrinsic religiosity was positively associated with ever having a mammogram while positive religious coping was negatively associated with getting a mammogram every two years. Shared religious concepts appear to influence breast cancer screening behaviors among American Muslims across race and ethnicity, and research teasing out how religiosity impacts decisions to pursue breast cancer screening is needed. Citation Format: Aasim I. Padela, Sohad Murrar, Brigid Adviento, Farr Curlin, Olufunmilayo Olopade. Associations between fatalistic beliefs, modesty concerns and breast cancer screening in the American Muslim community. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1363. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1363

The Moderating Effect of the Negative Impact of Recent Life Events on the Relation between Intrinsic Religiosity and Death Ideation in Older Adults

Researchers tested the hypothesis that the negative impact of recent life events would moderate the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and death ideation in older adults. Participants (n = 272) completed assessments of death ideation, intrinsic religiosity, and negative impact of recent life events. We confirmed the presence of concurrent moderation and found that older adults with greater negative impact of recent life events and high intrinsic religiosity reported greater death ideation. These relatively surprising findings may be due to reduced fear of death in intrinsically religious older adults, an explanation consistent with previous research.

The Influence of Religiosity on Consumer Ethical Judgments and Responses Toward Sexual Appeals

This research explores the influence of religiosity on consumer perception of, and response toward, sexual appeals. The first study (survey, national sample; n = 423) examines the relationship between religiosity and consumer response toward sexual appeals using causal modeling. Study 1 finds that high intrinsic religiosity consumers exhibit more adverse ethical judgments toward the company’s use of sexual appeals and these judgments, in turn, result in inferior attitudes and purchase intent toward the advertised brand. To confirm and expand on these findings, the second study (experiment, young adult sample; n = 216) examines the influence of intrinsic religiosity on consumer response toward both sexual and nonsexual appeals. The results show that sexual appeals elicit inferior (superior) ethical judgments, attitudes, and purchase intent among consumers high (low) in intrinsic religiosity. In contrast, nonsexual appeals elicit (un)favorable responses from consumers who are (low) high in intrinsic religiosity.

Religiosity, Spirituality, and End-of-Life Planning: A Single-Site Survey of Medical Inpatients

ContextPrior studies suggest that terminally ill patients who use religious coping are less likely to have advance directives and more likely to opt for heroic end-of-life measures. Yet, no study to date has examined whether end-of-life practices are associated with measures of religiosity and spirituality. ObjectivesTo assess the relationship between general measures of patient religiosity and spirituality and patients' preferences for care at the end of life. MethodsWe examined data from the University of Chicago Hospitalist Study, which gathers sociodemographic and clinical information from all consenting general internal medicine patients at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Primary outcomes were whether the patient had an advance directive, a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, a durable power of attorney for health care, and an informally designated decision maker. Primary predictors were religious attendance, intrinsic religiosity, and self-rated spirituality. ResultsThe sample population (n=8308) was predominantly African American (73%) and female (60%). In this population, 1.5% had advance directives and 10.4% had DNR orders. Half (51%) of the patients had specified a decision maker. White patients were more likely than African American patients to have an advance directive (odds ratio [OR] 2.1; 95% CI 1.1–4.0) and a DNR order (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.0–2.9). Patients reporting high intrinsic religiosity were more likely to have specified a decision maker than those reporting low intrinsic religiosity (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1–1.6). The same was true for those with high compared with low spirituality (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1–1.5). Religious characteristics were not significantly associated with having an advance directive or DNR order. ConclusionAmong general medicine inpatients at an urban academic medical center, those who were highly religious and/or spiritual were more likely to have a designated decision maker to help with end-of-life decisions but did not differ from other patients in their likelihood of having an advance directive or DNR order.

Reliance on God’s Help in Patients with Depressive and Addictive Disorders is not Associated with Their Depressive Symptoms

Objective: Although there are several reports which support a (negative) association between depression and spirituality/religiosity, the specific nature of the relationships remains unclear. To address whether patients with depressive and/or addictive disorders use this resource at all, we focused on a circumscribed variable of intrinsic religiosity, and analyzed putative associations between intrinsic religiosity, depression, life satisfaction and internal adaptive coping strategies. Methods: We referred to data of 111 patients with either depressive and/or addictive disorders treated in three German clinics. For this anonym cross sectional study, standardized instruments were used, i.e., the 5-item scale Reliance on God’s Help (RGH), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), the 3-item scale Escape from Illness, the Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS), and internal adaptive coping strategies as measured with the AKU questionnaire. Results: Patients with addictive disorders had significantly higher RGH than patients with depressive disorders (F = 3.6; p = 0.03). Correlation analyses revealed that RGH was not significantly associated with the BDI scores, instead depressive symptoms were significantly associated with life satisfaction and internal adaptive coping strategies (i.e., Reappraisal: Illness as Chance and Conscious Living). Patients with either low or high RGH did not significantly differ with respect to their BDI scores. None of the underlying dimensions of RGH were associated with depression scores, but with life satisfaction and (negatively) with Escape from illness. Nevertheless, patients with high RGH had significantly higher adaptive coping strategies. Regression analyses revealed that Reappraisal as a cognitive coping strategy to re-define the value of illness and to use it as a chance of development (i.e., change attitudes and behavior), was the best predictor of patients’ RGH (Beta = 0.36, p = 0.001), while neither depression as underlying disease (as compared to addictive disorders) nor patients’ life satisfaction had a significant influence on their RGH. Conclusions: Although RGH was significantly higher in patients with addictive disorders than in patients with depressive disorders, depressive symptoms are not significantly associated with patients’ intrinsic religiosity. Particularly those patients with high intrinsic religiosity seem to have stronger access to positive (internal) strategies to cope, and higher life satisfaction. Whether spirituality/religiosity is used by the patients as a reliable resource may depend on their individual experience during live, their expectations, and specific world-view.

Observations of Muslim Physicians Regarding the Influence of Religion on Health and Their Clinical Approach

Although most patients report wanting their physicians to address the religious aspects of their lives, most physicians do not initiate questions concerning religion with their patients. Although religion plays a major role in every aspect of the life of a Muslim, most of the data on the role of religion in health have been conducted in populations that are predominantly non-Muslim. The objectives of this study were to assess Muslim physicians' beliefs and behaviours regarding religious discussions in clinical practice and to understand the factors that facilitate or impede discussion of religion in clinical settings. The study is based on a cross-sectional survey. Muslim physicians working in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia were invited to complete a questionnaire that included demographic data; intrinsic level of religiosity; beliefs about the impact of religion on health; and observations, attitudes, behaviours, and barriers to attending to patients' religious needs. Out of 225 physicians, 91% agreed that religion had a positive influence on health, but 62.2% thought that religion could lead to the refusal of medically indicated therapy. Over half of the physicians queried never asked about religious issues. Family physicians were more likely to initiate religious discussions, and physicians with high intrinsic religiosity were more likely to share their own religious views. Residents and staff physicians tended to avoid such discussions. The study results highlight the fact that many physicians do not address patients' religious issues and that there is a need to clarify ethically sound means by which to address such needs in Islamic countries. Medical institutions should work to improve the capacity of medical personnel to appropriately address religious issues. The training of clinical religious advisors is a promising solution to this dilemma.