Religious Differences in Physical and Mental Health among Israeli Jews: Findings from the Global Flourishing Study.

Numerous studies have identified religious correlates of health indicators, but relatively few have been conducted among Jewish populations in Israel or the diaspora. This study investigates the possibility of a religious gradient in physical and mental health and well-being across the familiar categories of Jewish religious identity and observance in Israel: hiloni (secular), masorti lo dati (traditional, non-religious), masorti (traditional), dati (religious or Orthodox), and charedi (ultra-Orthodox). Data are from Jewish respondents aged 18 and over (N = 2916) from the Israeli sample of the new, 22-nation Global Flourishing Study, which used stratified, probability-based sampling and assessed demographic, socioeconomic, political, religious, health-related, and other variables. This analysis investigated religious differences in nine indicators of physical and mental health and well-being among Israeli Jews. Using a strategy of one-way ANOVA and ANCOVA, adjusting for complex sampling design components, a statistically significant "dose-response"-like gradient was found for eight of the outcome measures, validated by additional multiple comparison tests. For four "positively" worded indicators (physical and mental health, happiness, and life satisfaction), scores increased consistently from the hiloni to the charedi categories. For four of five "negatively" worded indicators (bodily pain, depression, anxiety, and suffering), scores decreased across the same categories. Results withstood adjusting for effects of age, sex, education, marital status, urbanicity, income, and nativity (whether born in Israel). Among Israeli Jews, greater religiousness was associated with higher levels of health and well-being and lower levels of somatic and psychological distress.

Determinants of COVID-19 skepticism and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy: findings from a national population survey of U.S. adults.

BACKGROUND: The enduring presence of COVID-19 skepticism and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy is an ongoing impediment to the global response effort to the current pandemic. This study seeks to identify determinants of skepticism and vaccine hesitancy in U.S. adults. METHODS: Data are from the Values and Beliefs of the American Public Survey, conducted in 2021 by the Gallup Organization in conjunction with Baylor University. The survey used stratified random probability sampling of the U.S. adult population (N = 1222). Outcome measures were respective single items assessing COVID-19 skepticism and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy. Exposure variables included political, religious, and sociodemographic indicators, and moderators assessed personal history of COVID-19 and losing a relative or close friend to COVID-19. RESULTS: Skepticism and vaccine hesitancy were strongly associated with conservative and Republican political preference and conservative religious beliefs, and less so with socioeconomic status. Personal experience with COVID-19 did not mitigate the effect of politics on skepticism and barely reduced the odds for hesitancy. Results confirm that attitudes toward COVID-19 are politically and religiously conditioned, and are especially a product of conservative political preference. CONCLUSION: Skepticism about COVID-19 and hesitancy regarding SARS-CoV-2 vaccination are highest among the political and religious right. Efforts to increase immunization through public education may be inadequate; resistance appears ideological. Other solutions may need to be considered, which risk widespread pushback both politically and religiously motivated.

Perceptions of Accountability to God and Psychological Well-Being Among US Adults.

This study examines whether accountability to God is positively associated with four measures of psychological well-being-happiness, mattering to others, dignity, and meaning-among US adults. It also tests the possibility that prayer moderates these associations. Data from the 2017 Values and Beliefs of the American Public Survey (n = 1251) were analyzed using multivariate regression. Findings provided support for an association between accountability to God and mattering to others, dignity, and meaning in fully controlled models, and for happiness when religious controls were excluded. They also showed that these relationships were stronger among those who prayed frequently compared with those who did not. Overall, these findings shed light on a new concept-accountability to God-including its association with psychological well-being.

Parents, Peers, and Trajectories of Cigarette Smoking: A Group-Based Approach.

This study examines the independent, relative, and additive associations between both parent and peer role models and longitudinal patterns of smoking across adolescence and early adulthood. An analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N=10,166) reveals at least four distinct trajectories of smoking across ages 13-35: (1) non-smokers; (2) late peak (almost 10 cigarettes per day around age 30); (3) an early peak group that reached roughly 10 cigarettes per day around age 20 and declined; and (4) a high group that increased during adolescence and early adulthood and then remained high. Parent and peer smoking behaviors were associated with trajectory group membership net of controls for sociodemographic characteristics, parental SES, parent-child relations, and the availability of cigarettes in the family home. Parents and peers appear to have at least some independent associations net of each other, but their combined effects are powerful.

Prevalence and determinants of massage therapy use in the U.S.: Findings from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.

BACKGROUND: This study presents findings on the prevalence and determinants of past-year massage therapy use among U.S. adults from the 2022 round of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (total available N = 27,651), an annual national population survey. METHODS: The NHIS uses face-to-face interviews on a representative sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population drawn using a systematic, stratified, single-stage probability design. The analyses consist of logistically modeling the determinants of three outcome (dependent) measures: past year utilization of a practitioner of massage, past year utilization of massage for pain, and past-year utilization of massage to restore overall health. Exposure (independent) variables include numerous sociodemographic, health services, health-related, mental health and well-being, and behavioral indicators. RESULTS: The past-year prevalence rate for visiting a massage therapist in the U.S. is 11.1 %. The past-year rate for massage visits for pain is 6.0 %, and for restoring overall health is 8.5 %. Significantly higher rates are found among females and socioeconomically advantaged individuals, among other categories, and the strongest net determinant of massage therapy utilization is use of complementary or integrative practitioners. CONCLUSION: It is apparent that massage therapy is a commonly utilized therapeutic modality in the U.S. While use of complementary or integrative therapies is a significant determinant of massage utilization, it may not be fitting to consider massage therapy itself as an "alternative" therapy, but rather a widely used and increasingly mainstream therapeutic modality meriting wider integration into the community of healthcare professions.

Normal isn't normal: On the medicalization of health.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the proportion of the U.S. population classified as healthy based on 10 common indicators, examined in two ways: (1) above or below (in the healthy direction) the sample median (termed "normal"), and (2) below diagnostic cut-off points for clinical caseness or high risk (termed "ideal"). METHODS: Data are from the 2017-March 2020 round of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Sample sizes ranged from 3,956 to 8,961 for respective health indicators, with a total of 3,102 respondents for two weighted multi-item measures described below. Measures included the Alameda 5 health behaviors (smoking, drinking exercising, sleeping, and body mass index) and five standard biomarkers (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, fasting glucose, and total cholesterol). Besides point prevalences for the normal and ideal categories for each indicator, we also calculated the proportion healthy for all 10 indicators, again calculated both ways, termed "meta-normal" and "meta-ideal." RESULTS: The prevalence of meta-normality was 1.05%, suggesting that hardly any adult Americans are completely healthy according to population norms. Findings for meta-ideality showed that while most Americans are not clinical cases for any respective indicator, only 5.55% met the official criteria for being healthy according to all 10 indicators. CONCLUSION: Most Americans appear healthy according to nearly all key health indicators and biomarkers, according to "normal" or "ideal" criteria. However, the proportion healthy according to all measures is extremely small. Relatively few U.S. adults are completely healthy according to clinical criteria (meta-ideal), and even fewer are completely healthy according to population norms (meta-normal). Results are interpreted through sociological writing on medicalization.

Spiritual and religious identities predict the use of complementary and alternative medicine among US adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether spiritual and religious identities predict complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use above and beyond other known influences such as gender, region of residence, social status, personality, health, and access to conventional medicine. METHODS: Analyzing data from the 1995-1996 National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (n=3032), this study examines the correlations between four aspects of spirituality/religiousness-i.e., spiritual only, religious only, both spiritual and religious, and neither spiritual nor religious-and six measures of CAM. RESULTS: Compared with spiritual only persons, the odds of using energy therapies are 86% lower for spiritual and religious persons, 65% lower for religious only persons, and 52% lower for neither spiritual nor religious persons. Compared to spiritual only persons, spiritual and religious individuals are 43% more likely to use body-mind therapies in general; however, when this category does not contain prayer, meditation, or spiritual healing, they are 44% less likely. Religious only individuals are disinclined toward CAM use. CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for established predictors including educational attainment, personality, social support, and access to conventional medicine, the present study demonstrates that spirituality and religiousness are associated, in unique ways, with CAM use. Additional research on this topic is clearly warranted.

Assessing a Faith-Based Program for Trauma Healing Among Jail Inmates: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

This paper assesses a faith-based, short-term program for trauma healing among incarcerated individuals, "Correctional Trauma Healing Program" (CTHP). We hypothesized that participation in the CTHP would reduce negative consequences of lifetime trauma: symptoms of PTSD, state depression, state anger, suicidal ideation, and the risk of interpersonal aggression. We also hypothesized that the reduction, if found, would be partly attributable to anticipated program outcomes (a decrease in vengefulness and an increase in religiosity, forgiveness, perceived forgiveness of God, gratitude to God, and perceived positive impact of the Bible). To test our hypotheses, we conducted a quasi-experimental study of 349 jail inmates in Virginia. Manifest-variable structural equation modeling was applied to analyze data from pretest and posttest surveys. As hypothesized, the CTHP reduced the negative consequences of trauma by increasing religiosity and other positive attributes and decreasing vengefulness directly and/or indirectly via increased religiosity. Implications and limitations of our study are discussed.

Religious Doubts and Sleep Quality: Findings from a Nationwide Study of Presbyterians.

A growing literature examines the correlates and sequelae of spiritual struggles, such as religious doubts. To date, however, this literature has focused primarily on a handful of mental health outcomes (e.g., symptoms of depression, anxiety, negative affect), while the possible links with other aspects of health and well-being, such as poor or disrupted sleep, have received much less attention. After reviewing relevant theory and previous studies, we analyze data from a nationwide sample of Presbyterian Church (USA) members to test the hypothesis that religious doubts will be inversely associated with overall self-rated sleep quality, and positively associated with the frequency of sleep problems and the use of sleep medications. We also hypothesize that part of this association will be explained by the link between religious doubts and psychological distress. Results offer moderate but consistent support for these predictions. We end with a discussion of the implications of these findings, a brief mention of study limitations, and some suggestions for future research.

Adolescent Context and Depressive Symptom Trajectories in a National Sample: Ages 13 to 34.

BACKGROUND: Group-based trajectory analyses of depressive symptoms are often conducted with convenience samples, over limited developmental periods, or with a limited set of predictors in the adolescent context. Examinations of protective and risk factors in robust national samples are needed. AIM: Using an ecological approach, this study's purpose is to identify key relational and contextual factors associated with trajectory groups of depressive symptoms that span ages 13 to 34. METHOD: 12,248 respondents in the National Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Waves 1, 3, and 4) were analyzed with a group-based, cohort sequential design to identify trajectory classes, shapes, and adolescent (i.e., Wave 1) risk and protective factors for depressive symptom trajectories. RESULTS: A four-class quadratic solution was identified. Close attachment to parents was strongly associated with decreased odds of membership on elevated trajectories. No relationship with a mother or father was associated with better mental health than a poor relationship with that parent. Peer support, teacher support, and educational achievement were highly protective. Romantic relationships, increased number of sexual partners, and prayer were modestly associated with higher depressive symptom burden. Pregnancy was associated with increased burden later in life relative to the teenage years. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing adolescent family, school, peer, and religious contexts indicates several protective and risk factors for depressive symptoms that are persistent over time.

Prayer, Attachment to God, and Changes in Psychological Well-Being in Later Life.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prayer and attachment to God on psychological well-being (PWB) in later life. METHOD: Using data from two waves of the nationwide Religion, Aging, and Health Survey, we estimate the associations between frequency of prayer and attachment to God at baseline with cross-wave changes in three measures of PWB: self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction. RESULTS: Prayer does not have a main effect on PWB. Secure attachment to God is associated with improvements in optimism but not self-esteem or life satisfaction. The relationship between prayer and PWB is moderated by attachment to God; prayer is associated with improvements in PWB among securely attached individuals but not those who are insecurely attached to God. DISCUSSION: These findings shed light on the complex relationship between prayer and PWB by showing that the effects of prayer are contingent upon one's perceived relationship with God.

Forgiveness, Attachment to God, and Mental Health Outcomes in Older U.S. Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

We analyze a sample of older U.S. adults with religious backgrounds in order to examine the relationships among two types of divine forgiveness and three indicators of psychological well-being (PWB) as well as the moderating role of attachment to God. Results suggest that (a) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are not associated with changes in PWB over time, (b) secure attachment to God at baseline is associated with increased optimism and self-esteem, (c) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are more strongly associated with increased PWB among the securely attached, and (d) among the avoidantly attached, PWB is associated with consistency in one's beliefs, that is, a decreased emphasis on forgiveness from God. Findings underscore the importance of subjective beliefs about God in the lives of many older adults in the United States.

Subjective social status, life course SES, and BMI in young adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with many aspects of health and well-being, including body mass index (BMI). Most research in this area has focused on objective indicators of SES such as education and income, but recent work suggests that subjective social status (SSS) is also important. This study contributes to a growing body of research on SSS and BMI. METHOD: Data from Waves I and IV the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a study of 14,780 individuals followed from adolescence to young adulthood, were analyzed. RESULTS: Analyses showed that (a) SSS was inversely associated with BMI among young adults, (b) objective SES in both adulthood and early life explained about half of this relationship, (c) SSS appeared to offer a partial explanation for the association between SES (in both adulthood and early life) and BMI, (d) health behaviors, psychological characteristics, self-rated health, and perceived stress explained part of the relationship between SSS and BMI after controlling for SES and other covariates, and (e) SSS had a residual association with BMI that was not accounted for by any of the variables in the full model. CONCLUSIONS: This work shows that SSS is important because it (a) has an independent association with BMI net of SES, which suggests that it captures unique aspects of social and economic conditions missed by objective indicators of SES and (b) may help link SES with BMI through perceptions of one's place in the status hierarchy of society. (PsycINFO Database Record

Listening to Religious Music and Mental Health in Later Life.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Research has linked several aspects of religion--including service attendance, prayer, meditation, religious coping strategies, congregational support systems, and relations with God, among others--with positive mental health outcomes among older U.S. adults. This study examines a neglected dimension of religious life: listening to religious music. DESIGN AND METHODS: Two waves of nationally representative data on older U.S. adults were analyzed (n = 1,024). RESULTS: Findings suggest that the frequency of listening to religious music is associated with a decrease in death anxiety and increases in life satisfaction, self-esteem, and a sense of control across the 2 waves of data. In addition, the frequency of listening to gospel music (a specific type of religious music) is associated with a decrease in death anxiety and an increase in a sense of control. These associations are similar for blacks and whites, women and men, and low- and high-socioeconomic status individuals. IMPLICATIONS: Religion is an important socioemotional resource that has been linked with desirable mental health outcomes among older U.S. adults. This study shows that listening to religious music may promote psychological well-being in later life. Given that religious music is available to most individuals--even those with health problems or physical limitations that might preclude participation in more formal aspects of religious life--it might be a valuable resource for promoting mental health later in the life course.

Financial hardship and psychological distress: exploring the buffering effects of religion.

Despite ample precedent in theology and social theory, few studies have systematically examined the role of religion in mitigating the harmful effects of socioeconomic deprivation on mental health. The present study outlines several arguments linking objective and subjective measures of financial hardship, as well as multiple aspects of religious life, with psychological distress. Relevant hypotheses are then tested using data on adults aged 18-59 from the 1998 USNORC General Social Survey. Findings confirm that both types of financial hardship are positively associated with distress, and that several different aspects of religious life buffer against these deleterious influences. Specifically, religious attendance and the belief in an afterlife moderate the deleterious effects of financial hardship on both objective and subjective financial hardship, while meditation serves this function only for objective hardship. No interactive relationships were found between frequency of prayer and financial hardship. A number of implications, study limitations, and directions for future research are identified.

Attachment to God, Images of God, and Psychological Distress in a Nationwide Sample of Presbyterians.

Drawing broadly on insights from attachment theory, the present study outlines a series of theoretical arguments linking styles of attachment to God, perceptions of the nature of God (i.e., God imagery), and stressful life events with psychological distress. Main effects and potential stress-moderator effects are then evaluated using data from a nationwide sample of elders and rank-and-file members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Key findings indicate that secure attachment to God is inversely associated with distress, whereas both anxious attachment to God and stressful life events are positively related to distress. Once variations in patterns of attachment to God are controlled, there are no net effects of God imagery on levels of distress. There is only modest support for the hypothesis that God images moderate the effects of stressful life events on psychological distress, but no stress-moderator effects were found for attachment to God. Study limitations are identified, and findings are discussed in terms of their implications for religion-health research, as well as recent extensions of attachment theory.