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Cited by 154Religion, Spirituality, and PsychologyBlood Pressure and Hypertension StudiesReligion and Society Interactions

Frequency of Attendance at Religious Services, Hypertension, and Blood Pressure: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Gillum, R Frank, Ingram, Deborah D.·2006·Psychosomatic Medicine
DOI 10.1097/01.psy.0000221253.90559.dd
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that frequency of attendance at religious services is inversely related to prevalence of hypertension and blood pressure level. METHODS: In the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 14,475 American women and men aged 20 years and over reported frequency of attendance at religious services, history of hypertension treatment, and had blood pressure (BP) measured. RESULTS: The percentage reporting attending religious services weekly (52 times/yr) was 29 and more than weekly (>52 times/yr) was 10. Prevalence of hypertension (systolic BP > or = 140 or diastolic BP > or = 90 mm Hg or current use of blood pressure medication) was 21% in never at attenders, 19% in those attending less than weekly (1-51 times/yr), 26% in those attending weekly, and 26% in those attending more than weekly (p < .01). After controlling for sociodemographic and health variables, religious attendance was associated with reduced prevalence compared with nonattendance, significantly so for weekly (beta = -0.24; 95% confidence interval [CL], -0.37 to -0.11; p < .01) and more than weekly (beta = -0.33; 95% CL, -0.60 to -0.07; p < .05). No significant effect modification by gender or age was observed. Compared with never attenders, persons attending weekly had a systolic BP 1.46 mm Hg (95% CL 2.33, 0.58 mm Hg, p < .01) lower and persons attending >52 times/yr had systolic BP 3.03 mm Hg (95% CL 4.34, 1.72 mm Hg, p < .01) lower. No significant effect modification by gender was observed; these estimates are adjusted for a significant interaction between age and less than weekly attendance (1-51 times) (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with never attending, attendance at religious services weekly or more than weekly was associated with somewhat lower adjusted hypertension prevalence and blood pressure in a large national survey.

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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 [386]

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Authors
Gillum, R. F., & Ingram, D. D.
Affiliations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
Corresponding author
Gillum, R Frank
ORCID
Gillum, R Frank
Venue
Psychosomatic Medicine
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2006-05
Volume
68
Issue
3
Pages
382-385
ISSN
0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/01.psy.0000221253.90559.dd
OpenAlex
W2022634282
Cited by
154
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 10
FWCI
4.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
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
religious service attendance, hypertension prevalence, blood pressure, religiosity, NHANES III, systolic blood pressure
MeSH terms
Adult, Blood Pressure, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Religion, Prevalence

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