Religion and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Married Men: Initial Results from a Study in Rural Sub‐Saharan Africa
Abstract
Although some scholars have identified religion as a possible protective factor in the AIDS pandemic in sub‐Saharan Africa, evidence concerning the relationship between religion and AIDS behavior there remains sparse. Using a sample of married men from rural Malawi, we examine whether AIDS risk behavior and perceived risk are associated with religious affiliation or with religious involvement. Our analyses of data from the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project (2001) reveal substantial variation according to religious affiliation and religious involvement. Men belonging to Pentecostal churches consistently report lower levels of both HIV risk behavior and perceived risk. Regular attendance at religious services is associated both with reduced odds of reporting extramarital partners and with lower levels of perceived risk of infection.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Of the 14 highest-quality immune function studies, 10 (71%) reported significant positive associations or increased immune functions in response to an R/S intervention.
“Of the 14 studies with the highest quality ratings, 10 (71%) reported significant positive associations [437–443] or increased immune functions in response to a R/S intervention [444–447].”
From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [442]
Cites
Handbook of Religion and Health
Koenig, H. G., McCullough, M. E., & Larson, D. B. (2004) · American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00019442-200405000-00015 · Cited by 3,262 · see citing works
Two-component models of socially desirable responding.
Paulhus, D. L. (1984) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.46.3.598 · Cited by 3,013 · see citing works
Handbook of Religion and Health
Koenig, H., McCullough, M., & Larson, D. (2001) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195118667.001.0001 · Cited by 2,581 · see citing works
Religious involvement and U.S. adult mortality
Hummer, R. A., Rogers, R. G., Nam, C. B., & Ellison, C. G. (1999) · Demography · doi:10.2307/2648114 · Cited by 825 · see citing works
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND CURRENT CONTROVERSIES IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
Sherkat, D. E., & Ellison, C. G. (1999) · Annual Review of Sociology · doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.25.1.363 · Cited by 677 · see citing works
Jenkins, P. R. (2002) · doi:10.1093/0195146166.001.0001 · Cited by 675 · see citing works
Promising the Future: Virginity Pledges and First Intercourse
Bearman, P., & Brückner, H. (2001) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/320295 · Cited by 508 · see citing works
Glynn, J. R., Caraël, M., Auvert, B., Kahindo, M., Chege, J., Musonda, R., Kaona, F., & Buvé, A. (2001) · AIDS · doi:10.1097/00002030-200108004-00006 · Cited by 451 · see citing works
World Christian encyclopedia : a comparative survey of churches and religions in the modern world
Barrett, D. B., Kurian, G. T., & Johnson, T. M. (2001) · Oxford University Press eBooks · Cited by 375 · see citing works
Overreporting Church Attendance in America: Evidence That Demands the Same Verdict
Hadaway, C. K., Marler, P. L., & Chaves, M. A. (1998) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2657484 · Cited by 291 · see citing works
Secretive females or swaggering males?
Nnko, S., Boerma, J. T., Urassa, M., et al. (2003) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.10.031 · Cited by 217 · see citing works
HIV and Islam: is HIV prevalence lower among Muslims?
Gray, P. B. (2003) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(03)00367-8 · Cited by 215 · see citing works
Safe sects? dynamic religion and AIDS in South Africa
Garner, R. C. (2000) · The Journal of Modern African Studies · doi:10.1017/s0022278x99003249 · Cited by 179 · see citing works
Is there evidence for behaviour change in response to AIDS in rural Zimbabwe?
Gregson, S., Zhuwau, T., Anderson, R. M., et al. (1998) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(97)00165-2 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
Religion and women's health in Ghana: insights into HIV/AIDs preventive and protective behavior
Takyi, B. K. (2003) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00122-3 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Rethinking AIDS prevention: learning from successes in developing countries
(2004) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.42-0334 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
When Surveys Lie and People Tell the Truth: How Surveys Oversample Church Attenders
Woodberry, R. D. (1998) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2657483 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
The shadow of empire : Christian missions, colonial policy, and democracy in postcolonial societies
Woodberry, R. D. (2004) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Sexual behaviour in developing countries
Caraël, M., Cleland, J. G. F., Deheneffe, J.-C., et al. (1995) · AIDS · doi:10.1097/00002030-199510000-00009 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
A Review of Church Attendance Measures
Smith, T. (1998) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2657485 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
The Limitations of Stranger-Interviewers in Rural Kenya
Weinreb, A. A. (2006) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.1177/000312240607100607 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Apostles and Zionists: The influence of religion on demographic change in rural Zimbabwe
Gregson, S., Zhuwau, T., Anderson, R. M., et al. (1999) · Population Studies · doi:10.1080/00324720308084 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Husband—Wife Survey Responses in Malawi
Miller, K., Zulu, E. M., & WATKINS, S. C. (2001) · Studies in Family Planning · doi:10.1111/j.1728-4465.2001.00161.x · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Lugalla, J. L. P., Emmelin, M., Mutembei, A. K., et al. (2003) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.10.033 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
A Typology for African Religious Movements
Turner, H. W. (1967) · Journal of Religion in Africa · doi:10.1163/157006667x00011 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Estimation of AIDS adult mortality by verbal autopsy in rural Malawi
Doctor, H. V., & Weinreb, A. A. (2003) · AIDS · doi:10.1097/00002030-200311210-00014 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Introduction to "Research on Demographic Aspects of HIV/AIDS in Rural Africa"
WATKINS, S. C., Zulu, E. M., Kohler, H., et al. (2003) · Demographic Research · doi:10.4054/demres.2003.s1.1 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
An Assessment of the KDICP and MDICP Data Quality
Bignami, S., Reniers, G., & Weinreb, A. A. (2003) · Demographic Research · doi:10.4054/demres.2003.s1.2 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Nicholas, L., & Durrheim, K. L. (1995) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1995.77.3f.1328 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Religious Affiliation and Extramarital Sex Among Men in Brazil
Hill, Z. E., Cleland, J. G. F., & Ali, M. M. (2004) · International Family Planning Perspectives · doi:10.1363/3002004 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Social vs biological: Theories on the transmission of AIDS in Africa
Hunt, C. W. (1996) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/0277-9536(95)00219-7 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Gregson, S., Zhuwau, T., Anderson, R. M., et al. (1995) · PubMed · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Introduction to: Social Interactions and HIV/AIDS in Rural Africa
WATKINS, S. C., Zulu, E. M., Kohler, H., et al. (2003) · Demographic Research · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Are we measuring what we want to measure?
Bignami, S. (2003) · Demographic Research · doi:10.4054/demres.2003.s1.3 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Are we measuring what we want to measure? Individual consistency in survey response in rural Malawi
Bignami, S. (2003) · Cited by 22 · see citing works
An Assessment of the KDICP and MDICP Data Quality
Assche, F. S. N. B.-V., Reniers, F. G. N., & Weinreb, F. A. A. N. (2003) · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Malawi's Muslims : historical perspectives
Bone, D. S. (2000) · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Are we measuring what we want to measure
Assche, F. S. N. B.-V. (2003) · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Integrating respondents, community, and the state in the analysis of contraceptive use in Kenya
Weinreb, A. A. (2000) · ScholarlyCommons (University of Pennsylvania) · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications
Koenig, H. G. (2012) · ISRN Psychiatry · doi:10.5402/2012/278730 · Cited by 2,423 · see citing works
“[450] J.”
Background
- Authors
- TRINITAPOLI, J., & REGNERUS, M. D.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Corresponding author
- TRINITAPOLI, JENNY
- REGNERUS, MARK D.
- Venue
- Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-11-22
- Volume
- 45
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 505-528
- ISSN
- 0021-8294 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-5906
- OpenAlex
- W2101741437
- Cited by
- 125
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 4.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › HIV/AIDS Impact and Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Keywords
- married men, religious affiliation, religious involvement, Pentecostalism, adultery, religious service attendance, HIV prevention, rural Malawi, sub-Saharan Africa
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
