Religious Involvement Research Articles

Religious Involvement, Education, and Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults in Taiwan.

This study examines the relationship between religious involvement and subjective well-being among older adults in Taiwan, focusing on the moderating role of education. Analyzing data from a representative sample of older adults in Taichung, we found that religious participation was positively associated with happiness across the entire sample, regardless of education level. However, identifying as Catholic or other Christian was significant only among the highly educated. When examining life satisfaction, a significant interaction between religious participation and education was found. The positive effect of religious participation was evident among the less educated but absent among the highly educated. These findings suggest that different dimensions of religious involvement may have distinct impacts on well-being, depending on one's social standing.

Religious Involvement Is Associated With Higher Fertility and Lower Maternal Investment, but More Alloparental Support Among Gambian Mothers.

Human childrearing is cooperative, with women often able to achieve relatively high fertility through help from many individuals. Previous work has documented tremendous socioecological variation in who supports women in childrearing, but less is known about the intracultural correlates of variation in allomaternal support. In the highly religious, high-fertility setting of The Gambia, we studied whether religious mothers have more children and receive more support with their children. We randomly sampled 395 mothers and 745 focal children enrolled in the Kiang West (The Gambia) Longitudinal Population Study cohort. Structured interviews asked mothers who and how often people invest in their children, and about their religious practices. Data were collected at participants' homes on electronic tablet-based long-form surveys and analyzed using the Bayesian hierarchical models. Religiosity was weakly associated with women's higher age-adjusted fertility. Maternal religiosity was negatively related to maternal investment in focal children, but positively associated with total allomaternal support. Specifically, a woman's religiosity was positively associated with allomaternal support from matrilineal kin, other offspring, and affinal kin, but unrelated to paternal, patrilineal, and non-kin investment. These results suggest that higher fertility among religious mothers may be supported by high levels of investment from biological and affinal kin. Matrilineal kin, other siblings, and affinal kin seem to be the most responsive to a woman's religiosity. Our findings cast doubt on interpretations of women's religious behaviorsas signals of fidelity, and instead suggest theymay be part of strategies to enable collective allomaternal resources and higher relative fertility.

Religious Involvement and Cognitive Function Among White, Black, and Hispanic Older Adults.

We examined whether religious involvement was associated with cognitive function among older adults in the 2006-2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Using growth curve analysis, we found the association between religious involvement and cognition varied by facet of religious involvement and race and Hispanic ethnicity. Attending religious services with friends was associated with higher initial levels of cognitive function (b = 0.22, p < .05). For Hispanic older adults, frequent attendance at religious services was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline (b = 0.16, p < .01). Stratified models by race and Hispanic ethnicity demonstrated that religious salience was associated with lower initial levels of cognitive function among non-Hispanic White adults (b = -0.19, p < .01). We found no association between religious involvement and cognitive function among non-Hispanic Black respondents. In sum, elements of religious involvement are positively or negatively related to cognitive function in later life and vary by race and ethnicity.

Religious Involvement and Entrepreneurial Intention: The Role of Well-Being

Religious Involvement and Entrepreneurial Intention: The Role of Well-Being

Acceptance of euthanasia by students of selected study disciplines at universities in Lublin, Poland

BackgroundIn the context of discussions between supporters and opponents of euthanasia, and legal regulations regarding this type of practices, the attitude of young people with respect to this phenomenon is a very interesting issue. According to Polish law, euthanasia is prohibited. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of acceptance of euthanasia among students from Polish universities across three different fields of study: psychology, medicine, and economic-technical disciplines, and to identify the factors associated with the acceptance of this phenomenon.MethodsThe study included 627 persons studying in Lublin, Poland: medicine (280), psychology (170), and economic-technical studies (177). The study was conducted as a survey using questionnaire containing items concerning students’ attitudes towards euthanasia. The analysis of the collected data was conducted using the SPSS software (version 29) with the following methods: Chi2, Student’s t-test, Phi test, Cramer’s V test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s post hoc test, linear regression analysis, and categorical regression analysis using optimal scaling (CATREG).ResultsNearly half of the students participating in the study (45.9%) rated the practice of euthanasia as decidedly negative. The highest number of strongly negative evaluations was found among psychology students, and the least among students of economic-technical disciplines. The level of acceptance of euthanasia is significantly associated with religious involvement and studying psychology. Being religious and being a psychology student both contribute to lower acceptance of euthanasia and a lower willingness to consent to euthanasia. Consent to euthanasia is more commonly declared by individuals with experience of living with elderly people.ConclusionsAlthough nearly half of the respondents expressed a negative attitude towards euthanasia, considering the secularization process among Polish youth, it can be assumed that the level of acceptance of euthanasia in this social group will increase. The lower level of acceptance of euthanasia among psychology and medical students compared to students of economic-technical disciplines suggests that the curricula of these studies present alternative solutions to the problems of terminally ill patients other than euthanasia.

Religious Belief Among Women in Australia: Characteristics and Role in Influencing Children's Health-Related Quality of Life and Lifestyle.

Religiosity can be an important factor in women's health-related behaviour, attitudes, and decision-making. Evidence however, regarding the religiosity of mothers and its influence on child health, is scarce. Based on a large population-based cohort in Australia, we aim to examine the religiosity of women in Australia and the association of maternal religiosity with children's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and lifestyle. Our findings indicate that (1) maternal religious involvement was higher for women with higher education levels, ascertained religious values in decision-making, and abstinence from binge drinking in the household, (2) maternal religiosity positively influenced their children's HRQOL, (3) children of mothers who were more religious had less worries or fewer school-work problems, but the children of mothers with stronger religious beliefs used more internet/computer during the week but had less time playing games on weekends. This study provides additional specificity to inform future health interventions in religious community contexts to enhance the positive influence of maternal religious belief for better development of their children.

Religion as a social determinant of health in old age?

ABSTRACT This paper will argue that religion has a special meaning for older adults beyond the findings in the research literature on religion’s effects on health outcomes. Research on religious involvement and health from the past several decades shows a strongly beneficial relationship for persons of all ages, and one that is heightened in old age. Given the pace of secularization, however, the future is uncertain and coming cohorts of older persons may not have the same life course experiences to draw on in late life.

Religious involvement in the context of public moral standards and sustainable social development – A case study of Polish voivodeships

The manuscript analyzes the spatial distribution, relationships and statistical dependence between religious involvement vs. the observance of public moral norms, and between religious involvement vs. sustainable social development as the main criterion and based on indirect criteria such as demographics, education, social welfare, health, public security, housing, social engagement, and the labor market. The study was conducted in Polish voivodeships, which represent the highest level of territorial division, and data for analyses were obtained from public statistical databases. The phenomena were examined with the use of synthetic variables, whereas composite indicators were determined by Hellwig's method. The study revealed considerable variations in the magnitude of the examined phenomena across Polish regions and the absence of significant correlations between religious involvement vs. the observance of public moral norms and sustainable social development as the main criterion. High values of indirect criteria are associated with regional development. Positive relationships were also observed between religiosity and selected indirect criteria.

Identifying Variation in Physical Health Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms among Religiosity Clusters of African American Adults in the United States.

Religiosity is an important factor in the lives of many African Americans, who suffer a greater health burden than their White counterparts. In this study, we examined associations between dimensions of religiosity with health behaviors and depressive symptoms in a sample of African American adults in the United States. Participants (N = 2086) completed five measures of religiosity (religious involvement, positive and negative religious coping, scriptural influence, belief in illness as punishment for sin) and measures of several health behaviors, cancer screening behaviors, and depressive symptoms. Using cluster analysis to examine the deep structure of religiosity, three clusters emerged: Positive Religious, Negative Religious, and Low Religious. In general, the Positive Religious group engaged in more healthy behaviors (e.g., fruit and vegetable consumption, fecal occult blood test) and fewer risky health behaviors (e.g., smoke and consume alcohol), and reported fewer depressive symptoms than did the Negative Religious and/or Low Religious groups. Theoretical implications and implications for interventions by clergy and mental health professionals are discussed.

Gratitude and Mortality Among Older US Female Nurses

Supporting healthy aging is a US public health priority, and gratitude is a potentially modifiable psychological factor that may enhance health and well-being in older adults. However, the association between gratitude and mortality has not been studied. To examine the association of gratitude with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in later life. This population-based prospective cohort study used data from self-reported questionnaires and medical records of 49 275 US older female registered nurses who participated in the Nurses' Health Study (2016 questionnaire wave to December 2019). Cox proportional hazards regression models estimated the hazard ratio (HR) of deaths by self-reported levels of gratitude at baseline. These models adjusted for baseline sociodemographic characteristics, social participation, physical health, lifestyle factors, cognitive function, and mental health. Data analysis was conducted from December 2022 to April 2024. Gratitude was assessed with the 6-item Gratitude Questionnaire, a validated and widely used measure of one's tendency to experience grateful affect. Deaths were identified from the National Death Index, state statistics records, reports by next of kin, and the postal system. Causes of death were ascertained by physicians through reviewing death certificates and medical records. Among the 49 275 participants (all female; mean [SD] age at baseline, 79 [6.16] years), 4608 incident deaths were identified over 151 496 person-years of follow-up. Greater gratitude at baseline was associated with a lower hazard of mortality in a monotonic fashion. For instance, the highest tertile of gratitude, compared with the lowest tertile, was associated with a lower hazard of all-cause deaths (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.99) after adjusting for baseline sociodemographic characteristics, social participation, religious involvement, physical health, lifestyle factors, cognitive function, and mental health. When considering cause-specific deaths, death from cardiovascular disease was inversely associated with gratitude (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-0.995). This study provides the first empirical evidence suggesting that experiencing grateful affect is associated with increased longevity among older adults. The findings will need to be replicated in future studies with more representative samples.

Study of Maudhu'i's Interpretation of Secularism Verses

In this modern era, the Islamic religion is faced with various kinds of complex problems. The values of the Islamic religion have begun to fade and religious rules are put aside in order to fulfill one's desires. Secularism is a phenomenon that comes from evidence of humanity's distance from Islamic teachings. The perpetrators of secularism do things that are deviant for the good of their world so that their desires are fulfilled while religious values are not adhered to. This also happened during the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, when the world became their goal and they underestimated the affairs of the afterlife. The aim of this paper is to understand the concept of secularism in the verses of the Koran using a Maudhu'i interpretation approach. The method used is a qualitative method using literature review. There are several verses in the Qur'an that discuss secularism, namely Q.S Al-Baqarah verses 85-86, Q.S Hud verses 15-16 and Q.S Al Isra verse 18, at-Tin verse 4, ar-Rum verse 30, and an-Nisa verse 119. As a form of interpretation using a maudhu'i approach, the researcher also discusses asbab al-nuzul, munasabah and language rules as a complement to the interpretation. Beside that, it also mentions the phenomena of secularism in the modern era such as plastic surgery and sex change. The results of the research explain that secularism is an ideology that is contrary to Islam. Where this concept separates religious involvement in worldly matters and leding to atheisme in the end.

Religious Involvement, Vegetarian Diet, and Mental Well-Being Among Seventh-day Adventists in Peru.

Mental well-being is conditioned by several factors, including religious involvement and diet. However, this evidence does not exist among members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) in Latin America, particularly Peru. This study evaluated the association between religious involvement and vegetarian diet with mental well-being in members of the SDA Church in Peru. In this cross-sectional study, the sample included 767 participants, aged 18 to 59years. A face-to-face and online survey was administered that included information on the dietary regimen and sociodemographic characteristics. Religious involvement and mental well-being were measured using the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), respectively. A multivariate analysis was conducted to investigate the factors associated with mental well-being. Being female (β = 1.80, p < 0.001), coming from the highland region (β = 1.98, p < 0.001), having a basic educational degree (β = 1.85, p < 0.001), a higher level of religious involvement (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), and being vegetarian (β = 1.21, p < 0.001) were associated with greater mental well-being. This evidence highlights the implication of religious participation and a vegetarian diet in mental health, not only among SDA church members but also in a broader context. However, it should be recognized that direct transfer of church-based health promotion interventions and strategies to the general population can present challenges; therefore, it is suggested that these strategies should be adapted and adjusted to consider differences in the community context.

A qualitative analysis of religious coping and participation in patients with head and neck cancer.

e24093 Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) and its treatment sequelae result in substantial disfigurement, depression, and isolation. Though up to 7 out of 10 cancer patients lean on prayer or other forms of spirituality for support, little is known about the significance of prayer and religious communities for patients with HNC. There is also a dearth of literature on the role of clergy as spiritual support for patients with HNC. In this qualitative study, we explore religious coping and barriers to community engagement both from a patient and clergy perspective. Methods: We purposively sampled ten patients with HNC from a single, comprehensive cancer center and twelve clergy for interviews. Patients were selected from a larger study of religious engagement and symptomatic distress. Clergy were recruited from a network of churches near the cancer center. Both patients and clergy completed semi-structured interviews, which were then transcribed and analyzed by descriptive content analysis. Results: Four main themes emerged from patient interviews: 1) HNC-related physical symptoms (dysphagia, stoma, impaired speech) hindered relationship-building with others and structured religious groups. 2) Most patients used positive religious coping, citing frequent prayer to God for strength during treatment and peace regardless of disease outcome. Few patients used negative religious coping, describing feelings of doubt and abandonment by God. 3) Patients predominantly found spiritual (prayer) and practical comfort (encouragement, phone calls) outside of religious communities through family, physicians, and support groups. 4) Barriers to religious community involvement included physical disability, satisfaction with individual spirituality, and religious community politics. Among clergy, barriers to patient engagement in religious communities included: lack of health literacy to understand patient needs, resource limitations, insufficient hospital emphasis on holistic health, and little awareness of opportunities for aid apart from psychosocial support. Overall, most clergy and patients believed faith to be an integral part of coping with head and neck cancer. Conclusions: Though patients with HNC experienced some isolation due to physical symptoms, many found spiritual support through private practices of prayer or individual relationships. Patient and clergy views on barriers to religious community involvement diverged; many patients felt satisfied with personal practices, and clergy felt distanced from patients. While future research should focus on clinical elicitation of religious coping strategies, our patients suggest the successful adaptation of such strategies to private contexts when faced with physically debilitating cancer diagnoses.

Peran Kegiatan Keagamaan Dalam Membentuk Karakter Remaja di Masjid Nurul Huda Desa Jentrek Wonosobo

The main objective of this research is to determine the types of religious activities that take place at the Nurul Huda Mosque, Jentrek Village. (2) To find out how religious activities at the Nurul Huda Mosque, Jentrek Village, Wonosobo, influence the character of teenagers. (3) To find out what influences and hinders religious involvement in forming the moral fiber of teenagers at the Nurul Huda Mosque, Jentrek Village, Wonosobo.Qualitative research methodology was used in this investigation. Descriptive qualitative methodology is the strategy used. Through observation, documentation and interviews, data was collected. Technical and source triangulation is used to assess the veracity of the data.In this research, conclusions were obtained The forms of religious activities at the Nurul Huda Mosque in Jentrek Village are Routine Mujahadah and Majlis taklim. Meanwhile, the aim of holding mujahadah activities and taklim assemblies is of course to shape the character of teenagers to be better, especially in terms of religious character, social awareness and responsibility. The role of religious activities in forming the character of teenagers at the Nurul Huda Mosque. Starting from the activities of reading tahlil, wirid and prayers, this adds to the religious value of teenagers by becoming more attentive to each other, such as reminding each other and embracing each other, this shows that their sense of concern has grown slowly without them realizing it. Through taklim meetings and mujahadah events, teenagers can understand their responsibilities towards the Creator. As evidenced by these actions, a sense of obligation as a human being in the world begins to form, namely obeying the commands of Allah SWT and staying away from His prohibitions. Aspects of encouraging and inhibiting religious activities at the Nurul Huda Mosque in shaping the character of the younger generation. Motivational elements include personal interests, societal norms, and parental beliefs. Meanwhile, age, education and boredom are inhibiting factors.

Positive epidemiology, revisited: the case for centering human rights and economic justice.

In recent years, a growing body of research in positive epidemiology has sought to expand the traditional focus of epidemiologic research beyond risk factors for disease and towards a more holistic understanding of health that includes the study of positive assets that shape well-being more broadly. While this paradigm shift holds great promise for transforming people's lives for the better, it is also critiqued for showcasing decontextualized perspectives that could cause great harm to the public's health if translated uncritically into population-based interventions. In this commentary, we argue for orienting positive epidemiology within a human rights and economic justice framework to mitigate this threat, and we discuss two examples of previously proposed health assets (religious involvement and marriage) that demonstrate the urgent need for positive epidemiologic research to center health equity. Finally, to advance the field, we provide recommendations for how future research can address shortcomings of the extant literature by moving from individual-level to societal-level applications. In doing so, we believe that positive epidemiology can be transformed into a powerful force for health equity. This article is part of a Special Collection on Mental Health.

THE URGENCY OF IMPLEMENTING FAITH EDUCATION IN CHILDREN

The decline in religious activity among young people in many countries and the influence of secularization in today's culture highlight the urgency of faith education. Data shows a trend of declining religious involvement among younger generations, and in some communities, the challenges of maintaining faith in an increasingly secular culture are becoming more pronounced. Harvey Cox proposed the concept of secularization as liberation from the influence of religion and metaphysical thought, with an emphasis on the difference between secularization and secularism. This approach creates space for a deeper understanding of religious values and the application of these values in everyday life. Faith education is the key to overcoming this challenge. In the Islamic context, faith education helps bridge the gap between secularization and religious values, enabling young generations to understand and integrate their beliefs in the context of an increasingly secular world. This approach is not just about replacing religion but rather about developing freer thinking in living the world. Keywords: Islamic faith education, secularism, social problems

Compassionate Love for a Romantic Partner among Brazilian College Students

Compassionate love (CL) is a recent subject of close relationships. CL is focused on enlarging beneficence to another. The present study approaches the test of the psychometric characteristics of the shortened form of the Compassionate Love Scale for a partner (CLS-P-SF) for Brazilian college students and its relationships with background and well-being variables. The sample included 217 young adults, 46.1% women and 53.9% men. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the single latent factor of the CLS-P-SF is good and has satisfactory reliability. Subsequent analysis indicated that religious involvement and love status impacted the CLS-P-SF scores. CLS-P-SF scores were significantly related to the measurement of eros and agape love styles, commitment, life satisfaction, love satisfaction, and romantic loneliness. Satisfaction with love life mediated the relationship of CL for a partner and romantic loneliness. Current findings give an insight into the mechanism underlying the relation of CL with romantic loneliness.

Are There Regional Differences in Mental Health among Black Americans? An Exploration of Explanatory Mechanisms.

Using data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) (2001-2003), we examine regional differences in past-year anxiety disorder and past-year major depressive episodes among a geographically diverse sample of Black Americans (N = 3,672). We find that Black Americans residing in the South experience a mental health advantage over Black Americans living in other parts of the country, experiencing lower rates of both anxiety disorder and past-year major depression. We also examine the extent to which stress exposure, religious involvement, and neighborhood contexts help explain any regional differences. We find that stress exposure helps to explain much of the differences observed across regions, while religious involvement and neighborhood contexts help explain observed regional differences to a lesser extent. These findings highlight the importance of considering regional contexts in understanding intra-racial differences in mental health.

The Relationship between Social Support and Religious Involvement with Forgiveness in Adolescents Living in Orphanages

The Relationship between Social Support and Religious Involvement with Forgiveness in Adolescents Living in Orphanages

Family Perspectives on Key Elements of Good Home Palliative Care in South and Southeast Asia: A Scoping Review

Palliative care is a comprehensive approach aimed at improving the quality of life of patients with serious illness and their families. Nevertheless, there exists a dearth of systematically synthesized empirical evidence regarding the key elements that contribute to good home palliative care (HPC) from a familial standpoint in the context of South and Southeast Asia. This paper aims to describe family perspectives on key elements of good home palliative care in both regions. We conducted a scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. The search was done in 6 electronic databases: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, and APA PsycArticles Full Text. Inclusion criteria were (1) exploring family experiences of palliative care, (2) home setting, and (3) South and Southeast Asian countries. Twenty-four studies were included from Bangladesh (n = 1), India (n = 6), Indonesia (n = 7), Malaysia (n = 2), Singapore (n = 2), and Thailand (n = 6). Five key elements of HPC from family perspectives were comprehensive moral and psychological support; religious and spiritual activities with religious figures involvement; empathetic, responsive, and continued home palliative care; adequate access to information and skills training; and facilitation in dealing with systemic barriers. The crucial role of religious and spiritual activities and the need for facilitation in facing systemic barriers were specific to South and Southeast Asia. HPC teams should be able to provide holistic support for patients and their families, which is influential for the quality of care. Improving care on a systemic level in these regions should be a policy priority.