Study suggests attending religious services sharply cuts risk of death:
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A study published by researchers at Yeshiva University and its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, strongly suggests that regular attendance at religious services reduces the risk of death by approximately 20 percent. The findings, published in Psychology and Health, were based on data drawn from participants who spanned numerous religious denominations.
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Later the article had:
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The study adjusted for participation of individuals within communal organizations and group activities that promote a strong social life and enjoyable routines, behaviors known to lead to overall wellness. However, even after controlling for such behavior and other health-related factors, the improvements in morbidity and mortality rates exceeded expectations. "Interestingly, the protection against mortality provided by religion cannot be entirely explained by expected factors that include enhanced social support of friends or family, lifestyle choices and reduced smoking and alcohol consumption," said Dr. Schnall, who was lead author of the study. "There is something here that we don't quite understand. It is always possible that some unknown or unmeasured factors confounded these results," he added.
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It is possible that the kind of people who live longer tend to go to church.
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Technorati tags: mortality, church
5 comments:
I agree that homeschooling can be a better option for parents. The quality of attention that kids get a public schools is poor. And the exposure to negative peer pressure behaviors is great. I love your blog. Keep up the good work!
Jeff
http://weirdsciencekids.com
Another interesting study that I just blogged about talks about how computers in the home do not help with math and reading scores.
Research has shown that people who score high in conscientiousness live longer. Perhaps regular attendance at worship services simply reflects that underlying personality trait.
FWIW, my grandmother is 97 1/2 and still relatively healthy. She is devoutly religious and attends Mass every single day.
"I love your blog. Keep up the good work!"
Jeff - thank you for your kind words.
Robert - in some ways that makes sense. I remember when calculators came out. If students didn't understand the concepts they could still get the answers, but no real learning had taken place.
Crimson Wife - Good point. With so many variables it is hard to know what is cause, what is effect, and what is just noise. Best of luck to your grandmother!
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