A wide-ranging review of health research confirms that if you attend religious services regularly, you live longer.
The report, published in the American Psychological Association’s journal Health Psychology, looked at 42 health studies involving almost 126,000 people. Its conclusion-you are 29 percent more likely to live longer if you are involved in religion than if you are not. The review was carried out by the National Institute for Healthcare Research, based in Bethesda, Maryland.
The reasons for this link are not yet clearly established, but it is clear and definite, according to the report. Researchers also mention that churches that emphasize a healthy lifestyle with no smoking or drinking-such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church-are already known to have healthier members.
“The positive link between religion and health is hardly surprising,” says Adventist health spokesperson Thomas Neslund. “The Adventist Church has always maintained that there is a direct correlation between spiritual well-being and physical health. That, plus an emphasis on healthy living, means that religion is truly good for you-and your health.”