Changes in health status and frequency of attending religious services among medical inpatients with repeat admissions. Issue 4 (1st October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chung, Grace S.; Diaz, Manuel J.; Arora, Vineet; Meltzer, David O.; Curlin, Farr A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of religion, spirituality & aging. Volume 28:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 349
• Page End: 358
• Publication Date: 2016-10-01
• Subjects: Church -- health outcomes -- religion; Church work with older people -- Periodicals; Older people -- Religious life -- Periodicals; Older people -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Older people -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 261.8
• DOI: 10.1080/15528030.2016.1158139
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1552-8030

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Although frequent attendance at religious services is associated with healthier behaviors and improved health outcomes, this relationship is confounded to the extent that attending religious services requires and displays a certain degree of health. This study surveyed patients over multiple hospitalizations at a large urban academic medical center to test the hypothesis that changes in health status would be accompanied by parallel changes in religious attendance but not with self-rated religiosity and spirituality. Study data confirmed the hypothesis, suggesting that cross-sectional associations between religious attendance and good health outcomes reflect, to some degree, the way changes in health status impact one's ability to attend religious services.