Participation In Religious Activities Research Articles

Pilgrimages in Times of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Romania

In 2020, religious celebrations in Romania were greatly affected by restrictions meant to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Easter, the highlight of the Orthodox Christian ritual year, was celebrated in empty churches during the spring lockdown. Participation in religious activities was later progressively permitted. During autumn, pilgrimages were allowed, but only in compliance with strict regulations. This article focuses on the restrictions imposed by public authorities, the solutions found by church representatives, and the faithful’s reaction to the new situation. The Orthodox liturgical year begins in Romania on the 1st of September, marked by a series of pilgrimages, occasioned by feasts for several saints whose relics are venerated in local churches. Some of them, centuries old, attract thousands of people. The celebrations last several days, during which people wait patiently, for hours, to touch the holy relics. In 2020, governmental measures limited participation to local residents, without previous consultation with the church authorities. This caused great discontent. Despite this, the number of pilgrims was not substantially less than in previous years, in large part due to the direct negotiations between the faithful and the local law forces.

Pattern of substance use and substance use disorder in adolescent learners at public secondary schools in Gaborone, Botswana.

IntroductionSubstance use amongst adolescents remains a global public health challenge. The potential negative health outcomes of substance use suggest the need to understand the pattern of use and the associated factors among adolescents. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of substance use, SUDs, and PD and the associated factors in adolescent learners at public schools in Gaborone, Botswana.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at 13 public secondary schools in Gaborone among 742 students. Assessment tools included the World Health Organization drug questionnaire, DSM-5 interview for SUD, and the General Health Questionnaire-12.ResultsThe mean age (SD) of the participants was 15.26 (1.57) years, and there were more females (55.5%). Over two-fifths (44.6%) of learners reported psychoactive substance use in the past 12 months, and 31.5% meeting DSM 5 criteria for a SUD. Alcohol was the most used psychoactive substance (25.1%). Male gender (AOR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.26–2.995), having a friend (AOR = 4.27; 95% CI: 2.68–6.78), or father (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.14–3.04), who uses substance, and higher levels of PD (AOR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.03–1.17) remained significantly associated with SUD. Regular participation in religious activities negatively correlated with SUD (AOR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38–0.96).ConclusionThe high prevalence of substance use and SUDs among in-school adolescents is concerning. Substance use programs need to include family-focused and religious-based therapy and youth empowerment in developing positive peer relationships. Also, they should be integrated with mental health screening to assess comorbid PD.

Seeking Healing for a Mental Illness: Understanding the Care Experiences of Service Users at a Prayer Camp in Ghana.

Human rights abuses in mental health care are a global concern. Addressing the problem requires input from key stakeholders, particularly from people using mental health services. This study explored the experiences of persons with mental illness receiving care in a faith-based setting in Ghana. The study employed a qualitative design, with in-depth interviews (n = 23) and focus groups (n = 18 participants in 3 groups). The constant comparative method of analysis was used to identify themes in participants' descriptions of their experiences. The first three themes identified are consistent with human rights and coercion, and the last twothemes related to service users' views on participation in spiritual practices. Themes included: decision-making around care; consent and efficacy of religious healing; experiences with chaining; views around biomedical treatment; participation in religious activities as part of healing and recognition of the need for spiritual healing. It was observed that participants with prior experience of psychiatric treatment were happy about the absence of chaining in psychiatric facilities but strongly disliked the side effects of medications. These findings underscore the need for faith-based institutions to provide care that is consistent with patient preferences, thereby helping to address the resultant human rights abuses.

From Property to Propriety: probing Priesthood in the Carolingian era*

Abstract Steffen Patzold's recent book on priests in the Carolingian era invites reflection about methods in legal history, interwoven lay and clerical participation in religious activity, the meaning of ecclesial reform, and the application of new scholarship to materials previously framed with early twentieth-century analysis.

Peran Orangtua terhadap Keikutsertan Anak pada Kegiatan Keagamaan di Gampong Jeulingke, Banda Aceh

This study aimed to determine the role of parents in children's participation in religious activities. This research is a qualitative descriptive study that describes the facts in the field, with the problem of the role of parents in children's participation in religious activities in Jeulingke Village, Banda Aceh. The data was obtained directly from parents who have children aged 6-12 years and secondary data sources, namely supporting data in this study including books, the internet, and other relevant library materials with the focus of this research. The results of the following research are: First: the role of parents in children's participation in religious activities, namely parents foster, parents train, parents make themselves role models for their children; parents give loving attention with warmth to the child; parents are responsive to children's needs; parents encourage children to be more active in participating in religious activities. Second: The role of family education (parents) is very decisive in nurturing their children.

노년기 종교적 특성이 성공적 노화에 미치는 영향에 대한 사회적 관계의 다층 매개효과

This study analyzed the cross-level mediating effects of social relationships on the association between religious characteristics and successful aging. The data was gathered from the 7th Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the sample consisted of 1,191 couples aged 65 and above. Independent variables were the level of participation in religious activities at the individual level and religious similarity between couples at the couple level. The dependent variable was successful aging at the individual level, consisting of physical, cognitive, social, and psychological dimensions. Mediating variables were the level of social interactions at the individual level and marital satisfaction at the couple level. Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation was applied to include 9% of the sample with missing values in data. According to the multi-level mediation analysis, the more an individual participates in religious activities, the higher the level of social interactions and marital satisfaction, which had positive effects on successful aging. However, the religious similarity between couples at the couple level had an insignificant effect on social interactions and marital satisfaction. This study presented multi-dimensional discussions on religious characteristics and social relationships in later life and a new empirical model to promote successful aging at both the individual and couple levels.

Cross-Level Mediating Effects of Social Relationships between Religiosity and Successful Aging

This study aimed to analyze the cross-level mediating effects of social relationships on the association between religiosity and successful aging. The data was the 7th Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the sample was 1,191 couples aged 65 and above. Independent variables were the level of participation in religious activities at the individual level and religious similarity between couples at the couple level. The dependent variable was successful aging at the individual level, which consisted of physical, cognitive, social, and psychological dimensions. Mediating variables were two social relationships: frequency of social interaction at the individual level and marital satisfaction at the couple level. We applied Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation to include 8% of the sample with missing values in data. According to the multi-level mediation path analysis, both frequency of social interaction and marital satisfaction had mediating effects on the association between the level of participation in religious activities and successful aging; the more they participate in religious activities, the higher the frequency of social interaction and marital satisfaction, and this had positive effects on successful aging. Also, marital satisfaction had a mediating effect on the association between religious similarity and successful aging; when married couples have the same religion, marital satisfaction was higher than when they do not, and this had a positive effect on successful aging. This study is meaningful in presenting multi-dimensional discussions on religiosity and social relationships in later life and a new empirical model to promote successful aging at both individual and couple levels.

Temporal Trends in the Prevalence of Dementia in South Korea

Background. Secular decreases in the prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia have been observed in several Western countries, however, few systematic investigations of temporal trends in dementia have been conducted in South Korea. Method. Data came from N=8,006 individuals (N=2,110 assessed twice) aged 65 years and older participating in the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging 2008 and 2018. Dementia was indicated by a score ≤ 17 on the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). Dementia was regressed on the year of survey, adjusting for multiple demographic and socio-economic confounders, and, in additional models, also chronic diseases and lifestyle factors related to health, social, and religious activities. Results. Across waves, the share of individuals with low socio-economic status decreased. The prevalence of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and psychiatric diseases, increased over time. Alcohol consumption increased, whereas smoking rates, religious affiliation, and participation in religious activities decreased. Controlling for all covariates and compared to 2008, we observe decreases in dementia prevalence in 2018 by 52% (2018: OR 0.48, CI 0.42, 0.56). Women’s MMSE scores were more than two times as likely as men’s to indicate dementia (OR 2.59, CI 2.15, 3.14). Discussion. Decreases in dementia prevalence in Korea are partly attributable to improved socio-economic conditions and can be observed despite the increased prevalence of chronic conditions. However, secular trends were not fully explained by these and lifestyle factors. We discuss further individual-level and contextual-level mechanisms that may have contributed to these findings.

Antecedents and Consequences of Social Adjustment of Undergraduate Students in Thailand: A Meta-Analysis Study

Social adjustment of undergraduate students is an issue that every educational institution worldwide regards as essential; this also includes educational institutions in Thailand. The systematic study, collection, and synthesis of antecedent factors affecting student’s social adjustment are, therefore, necessary as the data obtained from the abundance of research available can lead to new findings which can be used to design, strategize and promote students’ social adjustment, effectively addressing the social adjustment issues of students which have long been problematic. Therefore, this research’s objective is to synthesize available knowledge in the dimension of antecedent factors and consequences regarding to undergraduate students’ social adjustment in Thailand through the examination of various research publications available in the past 10 years (from year A.D. 2009-2019) through meta-analysis. Research that was used to synthesize 50 studies. Research results found that the individual’s internal factors affected student social adjustment the most. The variable of self-control has the largest average effect size. The variables of self-reliance and abstraction have negative consequences and large average effect sizes. Among the factors in the category of individuals’ external factors, the variable of participation in student activities had the largest average effect size, followed by interpersonal relationships, and participation in religious activities, respectively. In addition, under demographic factors, the variable of student age had the largest average effect size, followed by academic achievement, gender, source of funding received, and religion, respectively. These findings can be helpful in furthering strategic planning to ameliorate the social adjustment of students in higher education.

Impact of Religious Activities on Quality of Life and Cognitive Function Among Elderly.

Religiosity and spirituality have previously been found to have significant effects on mental and physical health. This study aimed to compare elderly people utilizing different types of religious activities in their daily routine and the effects upon their quality of life and cognitive function. A cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly people dwelling in suburban areas of Malaysia. The Malay version of Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Older Americans Resources and Services’s Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (OARS’s IADL), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaires were used in this study. Independent t test was utilized to determine the difference in the quality of life and the cognitive function between groups of elderly people that were categorized based on their level of participation in different religious activities. The study involved 432 participants. The mean score for all domain of SF-36 was significantly higher among those who engaged in the religious activities as compared to those elderly who were either less engaged or did not practice religious activities. The mean score of GDS-15, OARS’s IADL, and MoCA was also significantly higher among those who participated in religious activities. There was a significant impact on the quality of life and cognitive function among elderly people practicing religious activities. This study proved the importance of practicing religious activities among the elderly in achieving healthy aging.

Suicidality among South Brazilian tobacco growers

ObjectiveTo assess prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among South Brazilian tobacco growers and to analyze the associated factors related to the suicidal ideation. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011 with a random sample of 2469 tobacco growers in São Lourenço do Sul/RS. Suicidal ideation was characterized by the question “Has the thought of ending your life been on your mind?”. Suicide attempt was assessed by the question “Have you ever tried to kill yourself?”. Investigation of factors associated with suicidal ideation was done by means of Poisson regression. ResultsPrevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt was 2.5 % and 1.2 % respectively. In the adjusted analysis, suicidal ideation was associated with being female, older age, moderate participation in religious activities and difficulty in paying debts. Those who worked in activities that required inadequate postures (hunched over or other forced positions), as well as farmers who performed 6–9 pesticide-related tasks demonstrated greater risk of suicidal ideation. Regarding health conditions, medical diagnosis of asthma, chronic low back pain, number of lifetime green tobacco sickness episodes and lifetime pesticide poisoning were positively associated with suicidal ideation. ConclusionSuicidal thoughts and attempts are relevant mental health problems among tobacco growers. Reducing pesticide use, as well as exposure to nicotine and improving socio-economic conditions, can reduce suicidal ideation and improve the mental health of exposed workers.

Elderly Muslim Wellbeing: Family Support, Participation in Religious Activities, and Happiness

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of family support and participation in religious activities on the happiness of elderly muslims. Background: An increase in the number of older age people should be balanced with the increased quality of their life. The quality of life is influenced by internal factors such as self-quality, as well as external factors such as family support and religious activities. Objective: The objective of this research was to identify differences in the level of happiness of elderly muslims based on several factors: Work, health, salary, Islamic study, and marriage. Methods: Three hundred and ten elderly muslims (133 male, 177 female) participated in this study. Respondents were selected by simple random sampling of the elderly muslim population in seven districts in Central Java province, Indonesia. Results: The results showed 1) there was a correlation between family support and participation in religious activities and the happiness of elderly Muslims, 2) a healthy elderly person has a higher level of happiness than a sick elderly person; elderly who partake in Islamic studies one to two times a week have higher happiness than the elderly who do not; the retired elderly have the highest happiness compared to the elderly who still work and the elderly who do not (the lowest level of happiness), and there was no difference in the level of happiness in terms of salary and marriage. Conclusion: Family support and participation in religious activities are the main predictors of subjective well-being in the muslim elderly. In addition, there are other predictors such as health and participation in Islamic studies.

결혼이주여성의 사회적 자본 접근성과 우울감 경험: 출신 국가의 영향을 중심으로

This study investigated the relationship between social capital access and depression among female marriage migrants in South Korea. Assuming that the country of origin could play a role as a context in assessing the value of social capital, this study attempted to examine the varying degrees of association between social capital access and depression across countries of origin. Using the National Survey of Multicultural Families 2018, the responses of 5,514 female marriage migrants from China, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and Korean-Chinese migrants were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and ordered logit models were utilized for analyses. It was found that, in general, only Korean-Chinese females had higher social capital access to Koreans than that to people from the same country of origin. There was a significantly negative association between social capital access to Koreans and depression only for Korean-Chinese female migrants. On the contrary, there was a significantly negative association between depression and social capital access to people from the same country for all female marriage migrants. Among the control variables, negative influences of the satisfaction of couple relationship and that of the parent-child relationship, household income, and subjective health were revealed. Participation in religious activities was positively related to depression. These results imply that there were varying influences of the country of origin as the context for determining the use-value of social capital for female marriage migrants.

Multiple dimensions of religiosity, self-regulation, and psychological adjustment among emerging adults

Religiosity has been associated with positive psychological adjustment during emerging adulthood. However, the unique effects of specific dimensions of religiosity on emerging adults’ mental health and the underlying mechanisms are less understood. This study examined the mediating role of self-regulation between three dimensions of religiosity (religious commitment, religious engagement, and religious struggle) and psychological adjustment among 258 Christian emerging adults (Mage = 20.09 years, SD = 1.58; 74% female) in the United States. Participants reported on their religiosity, self-regulation, psychological well-being, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. The three dimensions of religiosity were uniquely associated with psychological adjustment through self-regulation. Specifically, religious commitment was associated with higher levels of self-regulation, and in turn, more positive psychological adjustment; whereas religious engagement and religious struggle were associated with lower levels of self-regulation, and in turn, more negative psychological adjustment. Our findings suggest that acceptance and internalization may be essential for religiosity to promote emerging adults’ self-regulation abilities, and in turn, benefit their mental health. In contrast, behavioral participation in religious activities without internal identification may be detrimental for emerging adults’ self-regulation and hinder their psychological adjustment. These findings highlight the importance of examining religiosity as a multidimensional construct to better understand the distinct effects of different religious dimensions on emerging adults’ mental health.

Faith in the Times of COVID-19: Integrating Religion in the Fight against COVID-19 in Tanzania

When and where a crisis such as a pandemic arises, people turn to religion in pursuit/search of comfort, justifications, and explanations. This article describes the role of religion in Tanzania in the times of COVID-19. The data collected through a questionnaire from 258 participants asserts that COVID-19 increased the intensity level of religiosity in Tanzania. This was seen in peoples’ participation in religious activities, i.e., religious gatherings, frequent prayers, and other religious practices. This article has established that the process of de-secularization was strong, and religion became a provider of hope, unity, solace, and socialization. Moreover, COVID-19 has also facilitated the convergence of different religions and thus ecumenism and pluralism of faiths have been strengthened in the country.

Completion of advance directives among African Americans and Whites adults

ObjectiveThe primary purpose of this study was to analyze the completion of advance directives among African American and White adults and examine related factors, including demographics, socio-economic status, health conditions, and experiences with health care providers. MethodsThis study used data from the Survey of California Adults on Serious Illness and End-of-Life 2019. We compared correlates of completion of advance directives among a sample of 1635 African American and White adults. Multivariate analysis was conducted. ResultsWhites were 50% more likely to complete an advance directive than African Americans. The major differences between African Americans and Whites were mainly explained by the level of mistrust and discrimination experienced by African Americans and partially explained by demographic characteristics. Our study showed that at both bivariate and multivariate levels, participation in religious activities was associated with higher odds of completion of an advance directive for both African Americans and Whites. ConclusionInterventional studies needed to address the impact of mistrust and perceived discrimination on advance directive completion. Practical implicationsCulturally appropriate multifaceted, theoretical- and religious-based interventions are needed that include minority health care providers, church leaders, and legal counselors to educate, modify attitudes, provide skills and resources for communicating with health care providers and family members.

The Influence of Religious Participation and Use of Traditional Medicine on Type 2 Diabetes Control in Urban Ghana.

This study examined whether the frequency of participation in religious activities and seeking care from spiritual and other traditional medicine (TM) practitioners were associated with blood glucose (HbA1c) control among urban Ghanaians with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Findings revealed that increased frequency of participation in religious activities was significantly associated with decreased HbA1c levels, whereas increased use of TM practitioners was significantly associated with increased HbA1c levels. These findings suggest that strategically integrating religious activities into disease management plans for Ghanaians with T2DM who identify as being religious may be a viable intervention mechanism.

Sense of Belonging, Religious Activity, and Well-Being in Long-Term Care Residents

Residence in a long-term care (LTC) facility poses numerous challenges to psychological well-being and rates of depression are high. Sense of belonging (SoB) has been linked with measures of well-being in all age groups and interventions focused on improving SoB have been successful with college-age adults. It is unclear if SoB improves in LTC residents as they adjust to living in this environment or what factors predict poor SoB in this population. As part of a larger study of care preferences in LTC residents, participants (n= 76) completed measures of SoB, well-being, religious activity, and demographic information. SoB did not vary significantly based on duration of stay, age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, number of children, education, facility, cognitive functioning, or physical health. SoB was found to be significantly and positively correlated with participation in religious activities (r= .388, N=76, p=.001), private religious practices (r= .275, N=71, p=.020), and spirituality (r= .263, N=70, p=.028). There was also a significant positive correlation between SoB and positive affect (r= .450, N=74, p<.001) and SoB and life satisfaction (r= .393, N=74, p=.001). These results suggest that connections formed before admission to a LTC facility, including religious networks, are important to SoB and well-being and that individuals without or with low religious involvement may benefit most from interventions focusing on improving SoB in LTC residents.

在外日本人の宗教活動への参加経緯とその地域的背景:ー韓国・京畿地方におけるプロテスタント教会の事例からー

在外日本人の宗教活動への参加経緯とその地域的背景:ー韓国・京畿地方におけるプロテスタント教会の事例からー

Belief Salience, Religious Activities, Frequency of Prayer Offering, Religious Offering Preference and Mental Health: A Study of Religiosity Among Muslim Students.

To investigate role of belief salience, participation in religious activities, religious offering preference and prayer offering positively predicts mental health among university students. It is a cross-sectional research design carried out in International Islamic University Islamabad, February 2018 to August 2018. Demographic variables were assessed by collecting information about age, education, marital status, family income and socioeconomic status. Mental Health Inventory-38 was used to measure mental health of the students, and in order to measure religiosity, Religiosity Measure Scale tapping belief salience, religious activities, frequency of prayer offering and religious offering preference was used. The results of the present study were analyzed through SPSS 21v. For computation of the findings, regression analysis and t test were applied. Study found that involvement in religious activities, prayer offering and belief salience positively predicts mental health among university students. Along with that, female students were also found to be highly involved in prayer offerings, religious offering preference and belief salience. However, there were no significant gender differences on participation in religious activities and mental health. It is recommended that development and enhancement of belief salience and religiosity in treatment of Muslim clients with psychological issues may boost their mental health. Therefore, these may be incorporated in treatment models.