Various Dimensions Of Religiosity Research Articles

Bodily awareness: Religious culture's associations with interoceptive sensibility.

Religions, as cultural systems, influence how people view and attune to their body. This research explores whether individual differences in various dimensions of religiosity are associated with interoceptive sensibility (IS), i.e., one's perceived ability to detect and interpret bodily signals. In Study 1, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus (N = 1570) reported their religiosity and completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, a well-validated measure of IS. Results show that religious identity moderates the relationship between the centrality of religion in one's life and IS such that the association is positive and medium for Christians, large for Muslims and Hindus. In addition, the medium positive correlation between frequency of religious practice and IS was similar across religious groups. Study 2 (N = 450) extended these results by measuring additional dimensions of religiosity and spirituality as well as investigating religious-related beliefs about the body, both positive (e.g., My body is holy) and negative (e.g., My body is sinful). Associations between religiosity and IS are replicated and found for spirituality as well. Interestingly, mediation analyses reveal that belief in the body as holy partially explains the association between religiosity and IS, but belief in the body as sinful suppresses such association. We discuss how religion, as a cultural factor, may influence beliefs about the body and bodily awareness, with implications for emotion regulation and mental health.

Role of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Religiosity on Muslim Consumer Purchase Intention Toward Religiously Sanctioned Food

Differences in religious beliefs can impact the choices people make, the products they select, and the satisfaction they derive from life. Food plays a crucial role in this as it often catalyzes interaction among diverse social and religious groups. For instance, in Islam, dietary laws are clear regarding what is considered Halal (permissible) and Haram (forbidden). Consequently, the surge in demand for halal products has mirrored the expansion of the halal food industry. However, the level of religiosity among Muslims can vary based on their upbringing and exposure to social norms and values. Previous literature has mostly examined religiosity as a determinant of an individual's religious commitment to Halal-certified food products, with very few studies exploring the role of the dimensions of religiosity in influencing consumer purchase intentions for such products. Therefore, this study aims to provide a clear understanding of how various dimensions of religiosity influence the intention of Muslim consumers, especially those living in non-Muslim countries, to purchase halal-certified food products. To achieve this, the study employed an online survey methodology, collecting 291 usable responses from Muslims in China. The research framework used the Theory of Reasoned Action and utilized Smart PLS 4.1.0.2 version and SPSS Statistics Version 27 for data analysis. The findings revealed several significant relationships. The study demonstrated that the intrinsic religiosity of a Muslim consumer has a substantial effect whereas extrinsic religiosity has an insignificant impact on the attitude of a consumer. Moreover, consumer attitude significantly influences the intention of Muslim consumers to purchase religiously sanctioned food. The Country of origin has moderated the relationship between consumer attitude and intention to buy religiously sanctioned food for Muslim consumers living in non-Muslim states. The insights provided by this study are expected to be valuable for policymakers, including government bodies and certification organizations, as well as foreign investors and global marketers, as they seek to develop or revise their strategies for targeting Muslim consumers in non-Muslim states when it comes to halal-certified food products.

Sin in the Digital Flesh? Religiosity and the Sexting Behavior of Women and Men in the United States.

Scholars have noted a rise in sexting behavior in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the association between religion and sexual behavior has been widely studied, researchers have yet to consider whether sexting behavior might vary according to levels of religiosity. Building on prior research, this study uses national survey data to formally test whether several dimensions of religiosity (religious attendance, divine control, and religious/spiritual struggles) are associated with the sexting behavior of women (n = 619, Mage = 40.28, SD = 11.50) and men (n = 548, Mage = 40.04, SD = 11.51). Results suggest that the odds of sexting are lower among women who report higher levels of in-person religious attendance (not virtual attendance) and greater perceptions of divine control. Among women and men, the odds of sexting are higher among those who report more religious/spiritual struggles. This study is among the first to show how various dimensions of religiosity might influence sexting behavior in different ways for women and men during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important for future research to replicate our findings and to consider whether other dimensions of religiosity might also contribute to the likelihood of sexting in an increasingly digital world.

Searching for meaning: religious transitions as correlates of life meaning and purpose in emerging adulthood

ABSTRACT Achieving a sense of life meaning has been proposed as an evolutionary adaptation that promotes the human need for self-actualisation. This study explores how various dimensions of religiosity are associated with life purpose during emerging adulthood, a stage of the life course where religious decline and the search for meaning and purpose intersect. Prior studies on this topic, however, have typically not accounted for across-time fluctuations in religiosity. Therefore, using two waves of data from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) (2005-2008), we consider how changes in religious attendance and perceived closeness with God are associated with changes in life meaning and purpose. Results suggest that consistent or increasing attendance and closeness with God predict greater life purpose, while declines in attendance associate with lower purpose. We discuss possible mechanism that may underlie our findings within the current religious climate of the United States.

Religiosity and Spirituality of patients with severe mental disorders.

Background:Religion and spirituality form an integral part of life, yet have been poorly studied in patients with mental illness.Aim:This study evaluated the religious and spiritual practices, a sense of purpose/connection, religious/spiritual belief and sense of hope/control among clinically stable patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression and compared the same with healthy controls. It also aimed to evaluate the association of residual psychopathology with various dimensions of religiosity and spirituality.Materials and Methods:Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, in a state of clinical remission were assessed on the Spiritual Attitude Inventory and compared with a healthy control group.Results:A total of 284 participants were recruited, which included patients with major depressive disorder (n = 72), bipolar disorder (n = 75), schizophrenia (n = 63), and healthy controls (n = 74). The groups were matched for age and gender. As compared to healthy controls, participants with any severe mental disorder had significantly lower participation in organized religious activities. In terms of existential well-being, all patient groups had significantly lower scores than the healthy control group. Patients with severe mental disorders significantly more frequently used negative religious coping than the healthy controls and also had lower scores on the sense of purpose. No significant difference was observed between the three patient groups on various dimensions of religiosity and spirituality as assessed in the present study. In patients with schizophrenia, higher use of negative religious coping was associated with greater residual psychopathology.Conclusion:Considering the association of negative religious coping with residual psychopathology, there is a need to incorporate psychological interventions to address religious and spiritual issues for patients with various severe mental disorders.

Religiosity from Age 12 to 20: Stability, Change, and Bidirectional Effects of Attendance, Prayer, and Salience

ABSTRACT Religiosity is a protective factor for adolescents, though research has indicated religiosity declines across adolescence. However, little research has examined how various dimensions of religiosity may change across time. With yearly data from a sample of 489 participants, the current study examined rank-order and mean level changes in religiosity from early adolescence (12 years-old) into late adolescence/emerging adulthood (20 years-old). Three dimensions of religiosity were examined, public religious practices (religious service attendance), private religious practices (prayer), and religious salience. Using cross-lagged models, reciprocal relationships between these dimensions were examined. There was significant rank-order stability, though stability was highest for attendance. The mean of all three dimensions decreased over time. The decline for attendance was initially slow though the decline increased through late adolescence. Prayer declined linearly and religious salience declined rapidly during early adolescence with the decline dampening in later adolescence and late adolescence. Each dimension was reciprocally related to the other dimensions, though this relationship differed across time. For instance, in early adolescence, attendance predicted religious salience and in late adolescence, salience predicted attendance. When significant, parent income and education were negatively associated with religiosity.

Translation and Adaptation into Hindi of Central Religiosity Scale, Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE), and Duke University Religion Index (DUREL).

Background:Religion/religiosity plays an important role in the lives of most Indians. However, there are lack of validated instruments in regional languages to assess the various dimensions of religiosity in the Indian population. This limits evaluation of religion/religiosity and comparison of Indian data with western research for health-related issues.Methods:The CRS, BRCOPE, and DUREL scales were translated into Hindi by using the standard translation-back-translation methodology as specified by the World Health Organization. Initially, the Hindi version of each scale was completed by 132 participants, and the second time, participants completed either the Hindi or the English version of the scales after 3–7 days. Data were evaluated for cross-language equivalence, test–retest reliability, internal consistency, and split half reliability.Results:The Hindi version of CRS, DUREL, and RCOPE had good cross-language equivalence with the English version for all the items and dimensions in all three scales, which was highly significant (P < 0.001). The test–retest reliability was also high for all three scales (Cohen's Kappa value >0.67 for various items and subscales P < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha for the Hindi version of the scales was 0.95, 0.76, and 0.89 for CRS, DUREL, and BRCOPE, respectively. The Spearman–Brown coefficient was 0.89, 0.70, and 0.43 for CRS, DUREL, and BRCOPE, respectively.Conclusion:The Hindi version of CRS, DUREL, and BRCOPE has good cross-language equivalence, internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test–retest reliability. It is expected that availability of these validated versions will provide impetus to research evaluating the association of clinical parameters and religiosity.

Influence of Spiritual Dimensions on Suicide Risk: The Role of Regional Differences

The field of suicide prevention has been enriched by research on the association between spirituality and suicide. Many authors have suggested focusing on the various dimensions of religiosity in order to better understand the association between religion and suicidal risk, but it is unclear whether the relationship between spirituality and suicidality differs between countries with different cultures, life values, and sociohistorical experiences. To explore this, the aim of this multicenter study was to investigate the possible relationship between suicide and spirituality in Italy and Austria. In the two countries, two different groups of subjects participated: psychiatric patients and university students. The patients were evaluated with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. In addition, the following measures were used: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale-B, the Symptom-Checklist-90-Standard, and the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being. Our results confirmed the multifactorial nature of the relation between suicide risk and the various religious/spiritual dimensions, including religious/spiritual well-being and hope immanent. However, regional differences moderated this relationship in both the clinical and nonclinical samples.

‘Generic’ Versus ‘Mature’ Measures of Christian Religiosity : Comparing two Quantitative Measures of Religiosity

A wide range of survey-based tools has been developed to measure religiosity, although the most commonly applied approaches tend to focus on ‘generic’ interpretations of religiosity for practical and generalising reasons. However, these generic approaches have not always been satisfactory due to the lack of variation in responses and the potential for poor correlation between the generic religiosity measure and the overall impact of faith in respondents’ lives, particularly in less secular contexts. This led us to explore whether there is a difference between measuring religiosity using a ‘generic’ versus a ‘mature’ approach using 227 Christian respondents on Bantayan Island, the Philippines. The findings suggest that overall religiosity among our respondents was high for both measures, that the measures are strongly correlated, and that there was no statistically significant difference between the scores for each scale; however, there was evidence to suggest that the two scales are examining different dimensions of religiosity. When correlating the two religiosity scores to other scales on our survey, there was no statistically significant difference among the correlations when using the mature or generic measure of religiosity. This has important implications for mental health and care research methodologies, for which we highlight the importance of using contextually appropriate measures that incorporate various dimensions of religiosity.

The Influence of Religiosity on the Emotional-Behavioral Health of Adolescents.

Religion is a multidimensional structure. Former studies examined only one or a few dimensions of the religion and the study that has looked comprehensively to the topic was not found. Considering this feature, the impact of religion on the emotional-behavioral health of adolescents should be investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of religiosity on the emotional-behavioral health of adolescents. Data were collected using religiosity, trauma resilience scale, emotional abuse, and Achenbach's Youth Self Report questionnaires in a 511-person sample of adolescents (318 girls and 193 boys). The results showed that various dimensions of religiosity are positively correlated with emotional-behavioral health of adolescents. A positive correlation was found between individual and familial factors with emotional-behavioral health of adolescents. Religiosity directly affects the emotional-behavioral health of adolescents. It also indirectly affects the emotional-behavioral health of adolescents through familial and individual factors. These findings show the important role of individual and familial factors in the impact of religiosity on the emotional-behavioral health of adolescents.

Which is greener: secularity or religiosity? Environmental philanthropy along religiosity spectrum

Using a large, nationally representative Canadian survey (N = 12,922), this paper investigates how religiosity associates with environmental philanthropy. Based on the degree of religiosity, the population is divided into five mutually exclusive segments of very religious, average religiosity, nominal affiliate, unchurched believer, and strictly secular. The analysis shows that the individuals identified as very religious contribute the least amount of money to environmental causes, while the unchurched believers are the most generous. The investigation also shows that among various dimensions of religiosity, only religious attendance is statistically significantly associated with environmental philanthropy. The effect of religious attendance is, however, negative for monetary contribution and positive for volunteerism. Finally, the contribution of money to religious organizations negatively associates with environmental giving, while donation to secular causes predicts a higher level of monetary giving to environmental organizations. Various implications are discussed.

The relationship between religiosity/spirituality, social support, and quality of life among elderly Chilean people

This study analyses the association between the various dimensions of religiosity and spirituality and the different aspects of quality of life in elderly Chilean people. It also evaluates the specificity of this association with respect to social support processes. The study involved a sample of 777 elderly people living in the far north of Chile. The results obtained via hierarchical regression analysis show a specific association of spirituality with quality of life. Religiosity only presents a specific association with quality of life in terms of the relationship between support from the congregation and satisfaction with social relationships. We conclude that religiosity and spirituality should be included in social work interventions.

Sandra Hubert: The Impact of Religiosity on Fertility. A Comparative Analysis of France, Hungary, Norway, and Germany

The relationship between religiosity and fertility has attracted considerable attention in demographic and sociological research over the last decades. Various dimensions of religiosity, including attendance, commitment, and the centrality of religion in people’s lives, have been shown to be associated with multiple dimensions of family life such as marriage, divorce, and family size. The book comprises an important contribution to this field, presenting a multidimensional analysis on the role of religion and religiosity in shaping fertility patterns. It adopts a comparative approach between gender, generations, and countries (i.e., France, Hungary, Norway, and Germany) and combines macro and micro perspectives. The volume is based on Sandra Hubert’s dissertation defended at Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, in 2014. The book is structured into seven chapters. After a first, introductory chapter, the second one outlines and compares family-related trends in France, Hungary, Norway, and (West and East) Germany. Then, chapter 3 defines religion and religiosity and introduces the multifaceted concept of religiosity. It also critically reviews previous evidence on the religiosity/fertility nexus. Chapter 4 theorizes the impact of religious affiliation and religiosity on fertility. Chapter 5 deviates from the general line of the book talking about micro and macro factors affecting fertility behaviors across space and time. Chapter 6 presents an empirical analysis on the link between religiosity and completed fertility in the selected countries based on the first waves of the Generations and Gender Surveys (GGS). Chapter 7 closes the paper with a summary of main findings.

Religion in the Arab Spring: Between Two Competing Narratives

Did religion promote or discourage participation in protest against authoritarian regimes during the Arab Spring? Using unique data collected in Tunisia and Egypt soon after the fall of their respective regimes, we examine how various dimensions of religiosity were associated with higher or lower levels of protest during these important events. Using these original new data, we reach a novel conclusion: Qur’an reading, not mosque attendance, is robustly associated with a considerable increase in the likelihood of participating in protest. Furthermore, this relationship is not simply a function of support for political Islam. Evidence suggests that motivation mechanisms rather than political resources are the reason behind this result. Qur’an readers are more sensitive to inequities and more supportive of democracy than are nonreaders. These findings suggest a powerful new set of mechanisms by which religion may, in fact, help to structure political protest more generally.

The Impact of Religiosity on Health Behaviors and Obesity among African Americans

Religion has been associated with good physical health and may represent a protective factor against overweight and obesity. This study explored dimensions of religiosity associated with health behaviors—eating habits and physical activity—and obesity in the African American population. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed for 3,620 African American adults ages 28 to 34. A structural equation model (path model) revealed that high levels of church attendance combined with religious practice encouraged healthy eating habits. However, increasing time spent in prayer while making religion more important in life was associated with poor eating habits. More frequent church attendance and prayer were implicated in heightened levels of obesity, suggesting that various dimensions of religiosity were constructed differently with health behaviors and obesity.

Investigating the role played by social support in the association between religiosity and mental health in low income older adults: results from the São Paulo Ageing &amp; Health Study (SPAH)

OBJECTIVE: Religiosity has been associated with mental health, especially in the elderly. There is a shortage of studies on the factors that mediate this association, including social support. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the various dimensions of religiosity and the prevalence of common mental disorders among the elderly, and to verify whether social support can work as a mechanism that explains such mediation. METHOD: The sample consisted of an elderly population living in a low income region of the city of São Paulo (N = 1,980). Data on the socio-demographic profile of this population and on the prevalence of common mental disorders were collected, and indicators of religiosity and social support were identified. RESULTS: 90.7% of the sample considered themselves to be religious. In terms of denomination, 66.6% were Catholic. Forty-one per cent attended some kind of religious activity at least once or more times a week. The presence of common mental disorders was not associated with religious affiliation or subjective religiosity. The prevalence of common mental disorders in followers attending religious services was approximately half (OR between 0.43 and 0.55, p < 0.001) compared to those who never attend a religious service. Attending religious services was associated with higher levels of social support. The association between a higher attendance frequency and fewer common mental disorders did not change after the inclusion of relevant of social support variables. CONCLUSION: The study showed that subjects presented high levels of religiosity and that there is a strong association between religious attendance and the prevalence of common mental disorders, which could not be explained by social support.

Investigating the role played by social support in the association between religiosity and mental health in low income older adults: results from the São Paulo Ageing &amp; Health Study (SPAH)

OBJECTIVE: Religiosity has been associated with mental health, especially in the elderly. There is a shortage of studies on the factors that mediate this association, including social support. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the various dimensions of religiosity and the prevalence of common mental disorders among the elderly, and to verify whether social support can work as a mechanism that explains such mediation. METHOD: The sample consisted of an elderly population living in a low income region of the city of São Paulo (N = 1,980). Data on the socio-demographic profile of this population and on the prevalence of common mental disorders were collected, and indicators of religiosity and social support were identified. RESULTS: 90.7% of the sample considered themselves to be religious. In terms of denomination, 66.6% were Catholic. Forty-one per cent attended some kind of religious activity at least once or more times a week. The presence of common mental disorders was not associated with religious affiliation or subjective religiosity. The prevalence of common mental disorders in followers attending religious services was approximately half (OR between 0.43 and 0.55, p < 0.001) compared to those who never attend a religious service. Attending religious services was associated with higher levels of social support. The association between a higher attendance frequency and fewer common mental disorders did not change after the inclusion of relevant of social support variables. CONCLUSION: The study showed that subjects presented high levels of religiosity and that there is a strong association between religious attendance and the prevalence of common mental disorders, which could not be explained by social support.

Educational Attainment and Religiosity: Exploring Variations by Religious Tradition

This study examines the relationship between educational attainment and various dimensions of religiosity. On the basis of a network closure argument, we hypothesize that the relationship between education and religiosity varies by religious tradition. Analyzing data from the 1972 – 2006 General Social Survey, we found that educational attainment predicted increased attendance at religious services, decreased levels of prayer, increased inclination to view the Bible as a book of fables, and decreased inclination to view the Bible as the literal word of God. These relationships, however, significantly interacted with religious tradition. Increased education largely resulted in greater religiosity among evangelical Protestants, black Protestants, and Catholics but not among mainline Protestants and the nonaffiliated. Overall, this study shows that education does not uniformly decrease religiosity and highlights the importance of considering religious tradition in future research.

Measuring Dimensions of Spirituality in Chemical Dependence Treatment and Recovery: Research and Practice

Spirituality and religiousness have long been associated with physical and mental health. The scientific treatment of religiosity as a multi-dimensional phenomenon is well established, especially in relation to chemical dependence treatment. Indeed, over 100 instruments are available for measuring various dimensions of religiosity. The more recent emergence of spirituality as an accepted construct in research has seen the development of a growing number of instruments to measure aspects of spirituality. The authors selected ten spirituality scales for review and discussion, and provided information relating to the scales’ development, psychometrics, format, scoring, and availability. The scales are then conceptualized in terms of their aggregate and overlapping usefulness for research and practice, and suggestions are made concerning the salient dimensions of spirituality measured by each scale. The scales are presented as defining an increased sense of internalized spirituality that contributes to positive psychological and emotional outcomes underpinning recovery from chemical dependence.

INTRODUCTION: Advancing Our Understanding of Religious Dynamics in the Family and Parent—Child Relationship

This special issue contains four original empirical articles that address links between religion and family functioning. The articles are marked by many desired attributes: arich combination of novel variables and constructs, a sampling of a diverse set of religious groups, and multiple measures of religiosity. The data analyses here not onlyexamine between— group effects and direct links between religiosity and parenting or child outcome but also offer a more complex and interesting set of findings. Specifically,the authors have found provocative interaction or mediation effects between different religiosity measures in relation to parenting behaviors or child outcomes.Collectively, the four articles illuminate how the various dimensions of religiosity can play a powerful role in the family.