GSBS Student Publications
Title
Religion and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Among Postmenopausal Women: the Women's Health Initiative
GSBS Program
Clinical & Population Health Research
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine; Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine
Date
2-8-2011
Document Type
Article Postprint
Medical Subject Headings
Health Behavior; Life Style; Religion; Religion and Medicine; Postmenopause; Middle Aged; Female; Women's Health
Disciplines
Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Health Psychology | Preventive Medicine | Psychiatry and Psychology | Religion | Women's Health
Abstract
Worship attendance has been associated with longer survival in prospective cohort studies. A possible explanation is that religious involvement may promote healthier lifestyle choices. Therefore, we examined whether attendance is associated with healthy behaviors, i.e. use of preventive medicine services, non-smoking, moderate drinking, exercising regularly, and with healthy dietary habits. The population included 71,689 post-menopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative observational study free of chronic diseases at baseline. Attendance and lifestyle behaviors information was collected at baseline using self-administered questionnaires. Healthy behaviors were modeled as a function of attendance using logistic regression. After adjustment for confounders, worship attendance (less than weekly, weekly, and more than weekly vs. never) was positively associated with use of preventive services [OR for mammograms: 1.34 (1.19, 1.51), 1.41 (1.26, 1.57), 1.33 (1.17, 1.52); breast self exams: 1.14 (1.02, 1.27), 1.33 (1.21, 1.48), 1.25 (1.1, 1.43); PAP smears: 1.22 (1.01, 1.47-weekly vs. none)]; non-smoking: [1.41 (1.35, 1.48), 1.76 (1.69, 1.84), 2.27 (2.15, 2.39)]; moderate drinking [1.35 (1.27, 1.45), 1.60 (1.52, 1.7), 2.19 (2.0, 2.4)]; and fiber intake [1.08 (1.03, 1.14), 1.16 (1.11, 1.22), 1.31 (1.23, 1.39), respectively], but not with regular exercise or with lower saturated fat and caloric intake. These findings suggest that worship attendance is associated with certain, but not all, healthy behaviors. Further research is needed to get a deeper understanding of the relationship between religious involvement and healthy lifestyle behaviors and of the inconsistent patterns in this association.
Rights and Permissions
This is the authors' peer-reviewed accepted manuscript. Citation: J Behav Med. 2011 Oct;34(5):360-71. doi: 10.1007/s10865-011-9322-z. Epub 2011 Feb 8. The final publication is available at www.springerlink.com. Link to article on publisher's website
DOI of Published Version
10.1007/s10865-011-9322-z
Related Resources
Keywords
Middle-aged women, Religion, Lifestyles, Health, Health behaviors
Journal Title
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
PubMed ID
21301947
Repository Citation
Salmoirago Blotcher, Elena; Fitchett, George; Ockene, Judith K.; Schnall, Eliezer; Crawford, Sybil L.; Granek, Iris; Manson, JoAnne; Ockene, Ira S.; O'Sullivan, Mary Jo; Powell, Linda; and Rapp, Stephen, "Religion and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Among Postmenopausal Women: the Women's Health Initiative" (2011). GSBS Student Publications. 1668.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_sp/1668
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Preventive Medicine Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Religion Commons, Women's Health Commons