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International Journal of Behavioral Medicine

Erschienen in:

01.12.2013

Relationship Between Religiosity and Health: Evidence from a Post-communist Country

verfasst von: Barna Konkolÿ Thege, János Pilling, András Székely, Mária S. Kopp

Erschienen in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine | Ausgabe 4/2013

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Abstract

Background

The relationship between religiosity and health has been investigated in the western world for decades. However, very little data are available from the post-communist region of Europe, where religion was suppressed for a long time.

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to lessen this gap.

Methods

In 2002, 13 years after the regime change, 12,643 persons (mean age = 47.6 ± 17.9 years; 44.8 % male) were interviewed in a Hungarian representative survey. The relationship of mental and physical health indicators with religious worship and personal importance of religion—controlling for several psychological and lifestyle characteristics—were analyzed using the general linear model procedure.

Results

Our results showed that practicing religion was largely associated with better mental health and more favorable physical health status. However, persons being religious in their own way tended to show more unfavourable results across several variables when compared to those practicing religion regularly in a religious community or even to those considering themselves as non-religious. The personal importance of religion showed a mixed pattern, since it was positively associated not only with well-being but depression and anxiety as well.

Conclusions

We can conclude that even after an anti-religious totalitarian political system practicing religion still remained a health protecting factor.

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Titel: Relationship Between Religiosity and Health: Evidence from a Post-communist Country
verfasst von: Barna Konkolÿ Thege
János Pilling
András Székely
Mária S. Kopp
Publikationsdatum: 01.12.2013
Verlag: Springer US
Erschienen in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine / Ausgabe 4/2013
Print ISSN: 1070-5503
Elektronische ISSN: 1532-7558
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-012-9258-x

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Background

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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