Social Research Religiousity
Religious Practices defined as Religious Service Attendance and Prayer and their Effects towards a Person 's Health
Sheryl L. Alexander
Texas A&M University: Corpus Christi
November 26, 2012
ABSTRACT This study looks at the relationship between religious practices such as prayer and religious service attendance and their influence on a person 's health. The data for this assessment came from the 2008 General Social Survey. A new variable was created, RELPRAC, by combining the data of two variables: PRAY and ATTEND. This new variable was recoded into seven categories ranging from extremely religious to not religious. This study was comprised of a sample size of 1,771 respondents. The results for this show did not show a statistically significant correlation between the variables RELPRAC and HEALTH. Respondents with higher degrees of religiosity did not have better health. An additional look was taken at the variables PRAY and HEALTH to see if by separating the religious practices there would be a statistical significance. The results showed an increase in health for those respondents who actively prayed more than once a week.
INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization defines health as a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This leads to a holistic approach to the personal concept of health such as the biopsychosocial theory developed by George Engel in 1977. Engel looked at understanding health and illness through a tripartite system comprised of biological, psychological, and social factors. There is the biological part which is outlined by a person 's genetics. The psychological part not only deals with the mind, but how people think about their health and what they do or don 't do to affect it. The last area, the social part, is that part that deals with the connectedness of a person to their social surroundings such as friends and family. With all this in mind it seems that there
Sheryl L. Alexander
Texas A&M University: Corpus Christi
November 26, 2012
ABSTRACT This study looks at the relationship between religious practices such as prayer and religious service attendance and their influence on a person 's health. The data for this assessment came from the 2008 General Social Survey. A new variable was created, RELPRAC, by combining the data of two variables: PRAY and ATTEND. This new variable was recoded into seven categories ranging from extremely religious to not religious. This study was comprised of a sample size of 1,771 respondents. The results for this show did not show a statistically significant correlation between the variables RELPRAC and HEALTH. Respondents with higher degrees of religiosity did not have better health. An additional look was taken at the variables PRAY and HEALTH to see if by separating the religious practices there would be a statistical significance. The results showed an increase in health for those respondents who actively prayed more than once a week.
INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization defines health as a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This leads to a holistic approach to the personal concept of health such as the biopsychosocial theory developed by George Engel in 1977. Engel looked at understanding health and illness through a tripartite system comprised of biological, psychological, and social factors. There is the biological part which is outlined by a person 's genetics. The psychological part not only deals with the mind, but how people think about their health and what they do or don 't do to affect it. The last area, the social part, is that part that deals with the connectedness of a person to their social surroundings such as friends and family. With all this in mind it seems that there
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