Religiousness/spirituality and health behaviors in younger adult cancer survivors: does faith promote a healthier lifestyle?
Abstract
Positive health behaviors are crucial to cancer survivors' well-being, yet little is known about the personal factors that may facilitate positive health behaviors. The current study focuses on the association of religion/spirituality (R/S) and health behaviors, examining links between health behaviors and religious attendance, daily spiritual experiences, and religious struggle in a sample of 167 younger adult survivors of a variety of cancers. The extent to which positive affect (self-assurance) and negative affect (guilt/shame) mediate these links was also investigated. Results revealed that religious attendance had little impact on health behaviors, but that daily spiritual experiences were related to greater performance of health behaviors,while religious struggle was related to less. Self-assurance partially mediated the effects of daily spiritual experiences, while guilt/shame partially mediated the effects of religious struggle. The findings suggest that aspects of R/S may play important and different roles in the lifestyle choices of cancer survivors.
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Religious affiliation and participation is associated with salutary health behaviors, such as avoidance of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use as well as fewer sexual partners.
“it has long been noted that religious affiliation and participation is associated with salutary health behaviors, such as avoidance of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use as well as fewer sexual partners.15, 16”
From Religion, spirituality, and physical health in cancer patients: A meta‐analysis (2015) · cites this paper as [16]
Spiritual distress is associated with increased depression and decreased adherence to medication and medical advice among cancer patients.
“spiritual distress, or feelings of abandonment by God and/or one's religious community, is associated with increased depression and decreased adherence to medication and medical advice among cancer patients, suggesting a plausible pathway by which such an association could occur.16, 33, 34”
From Religion, spirituality, and physical health in cancer patients: A meta‐analysis (2015) · cites this paper as [16]
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Religion, spirituality, and physical health in cancer patients: A meta‐analysis
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- Authors
- Park, C. L., Edmondson, D., Hale-Smith, A., & Blank, T. O.
- Affiliations
- University of Connecticut (US)
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Park, Crystal L.
- Venue
- Journal of Behavioral Medicine
- Published
- 2009-07-29
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 582-591
- ISSN
- 0160-7715 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3521
- OpenAlex
- W2070817278
- Cited by
- 84
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Behavioral Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Lance Armstrong Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Demography › Workplace Spirituality and Leadership
- Keywords
- religion and spirituality, cancer survivors, health behavior, young adults, religious service attendance, daily spiritual experiences, religious struggle, positive affect, self-confidence, guilt and shame, mediation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Guilt, Humans, Life Style, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Personal Satisfaction, Surveys and Questionnaires, Religion, Health Behavior, Survivors, Self Efficacy, Spirituality
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