Religion and Hypertension: Testing Alternative Explanations Among Immigrants
Abstract
A number of researchers have found that religious commitment has a salutary effect on blood pressure levels. Levin and Vanderpool's review of several of these studies led them to offer some methodological, epistemological, and conceptual criticisms of this body of literature, and they advanced various hypotheses offering possible alternative explanations for the putative salutary effect of religion on blood pressure. In this article, the effect of religious commitment on hypertension among a sample of immigrants is examined with these hypotheses and criticisms in mind. Even when the majority of Levin and Vanderpool's criticisms are addressed, the religion effect remains.
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Of the 39 highest-quality blood pressure studies, 24 (62%) report lower BP, including one at a trend level, among those who are more R/S or in response to an R/S intervention.
“Of the 39 highest quality studies, 24 (62%) report lower BP (including one at a trend level) among those who are more R/S [382–394] or in response to an R/S intervention [328, 395–404]”
From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [382]
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Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications
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“[389] A.”
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- Authors
- Walsh, A.
- Affiliations
- Boise State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Walsh, Anthony
- ORCID
- Walsh, Anthony
- Venue
- Behavioral Medicine
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 1998-01
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 122-130
- ISSN
- 0896-4289 (ISSN-L)
- 1940-4026
- OpenAlex
- W1997778258
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioral Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Scholar Works (Boise State University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
- Keywords
- religion, religious commitment, hypertension, blood pressure, immigrants, alternative explanations, methodological critique
- MeSH terms
- Acculturation, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Emigration and Immigration, Female, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Religion and Medicine, Religion and Psychology, Social Support
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