Study Religious people often have a longer life

Does our faith lead to a longer life??

Is it possible that our faith affects our life expectancy? Do believers really live longer? Apparently yes! Researchers have now found that religious people live on average four years longer than agnostic and atheistic individuals.

Ohio State University scientists found in their current research that our religion seems to have a strong impact on life expectancy and that religious people live longer compared to agnostic and atheistic individuals. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Social Psychological and Personality Science".

The belief in a religion apparently protects the health and leads to a greatly increased life expectancy. (Image: mitifoto / fotolia.com)

Why do believers live longer??

The difference in life expectancy between practicing believers and those who are not part of a religious group may be due to a mix of social support, stress reduction practices, and the abandonment of unhealthy habits, the authors suggest.

Religion has a strong impact on life expectancy

For the study, a team of scientists from Ohio University analyzed more than 1,500 obituaries from across the United States. So the experts wanted to find out how certain characteristics of life, such as belief, affect our longevity. Religious affiliation had almost as much impact on longevity as gender. It's several years, says study author Laura Wallace of Ohio State University in a press release.

The obituaries contained much important information

These records included religious affiliations and marriage details, as well as information about activities, hobbies and habits that may support or worsen health, but which are not otherwise recorded in census data, say the medical profession.

Married people live longer

Examining the records, the medical profession found that religious people lived on average 5.64 years longer. An increased life expectancy persisted even after the statistical control of the marriage rates. If this data was included, the life expectancy of religious people was still 3.82 years longer. Marriage is a factor that has been shown to increase life expectancy and help ward off certain diseases.

How does life affect a religious community??

The current study provides convincing evidence that there is a relationship between religious attitudes and how long a person lives, explains study author Baldwin Way, a professor of psychology at Ohio State University. The bulk of the study was based on the study of more than 1,000 obituaries from newspapers in 42 states. However, there was also the analysis of another 500 obituaries, which came from the so-called Des Moines Register. The scientists found that the effect on these cases was more pronounced and the belief in a religion was associated with an additional 6.48 years of age. This suggests that life in a religious community could have an additional effect, say the experts.

Religious activities fight loneliness and reduce physical inactivity

Religious activity often goes hand in hand with increased participation in activities and better involvement in social groups, which can help combat loneliness and physical inactivity. Both factors are also known to shorten life expectancy, the researchers explain. However, analysis of the activities mentioned in the report revealed that this is only a fraction of the effect, the authors add to the study. (As)