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Cited by 278Religion, Spirituality, and PsychologyReligion and Society InteractionsHealth disparities and outcomes

Attendance at Religious Services and Mortality in a National Sample

Musick, Marc A., House, James S., Williams, David R.·2004·Journal of Health and Social Behavior
DOI 10.1177/002214650404500206
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Abstract

Research and theory increasingly suggest that attendance at religious services is protective against premature mortality. However, prior studies are limited and do not extensively explore potential explanations for the relationship, especially in terms of religious beliefs and behaviors associated with service attendance. This study estimates the impact of service attendance on mortality in a national probability sample and provides the most extensive empirical examination of potential explanations. Individuals who report attending religious services once a month or more (just over 50 percent of the population) have a 30–35 percent reduced risk of death over a 7.5 year follow-up period after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Consistent with prior research, 20–30 percent of this effect may be explained by better health behaviors (especially physical activity) among regular service attendees. Surprisingly, other religious beliefs and behaviors do not explain, and often tend to suppress, the association between service attendance and mortality.

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Crossref · 10.1177/002214650404500206

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  • Among the 25 highest-quality weight studies, 11 (44%) reported greater weight among the more R/S and five (20%) found lower weight or less underweight.

    “Among the 25 studies with the highest quality ratings, 11 (44%) reported greater weight among the more R/S [82, 317–322] and five (20%) found lower weight (or less underweight [323]).”

    From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [317]

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Authors
Musick, M. A., House, J. S., & Williams, D. R.
Affiliations
  • The University of Texas at Austin (US)
  • University of Michigan (US)
Corresponding author
Musick, Marc A.
ORCID
Williams, David R.
Venue
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2004-06
Volume
45
Issue
2
Pages
198-213
ISSN
  • 0022-1465 (ISSN-L)
  • 2150-6000
DOI
10.1177/002214650404500206
OpenAlex
W1977194227
Cited by
278
References
74
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 7
FWCI
8.94
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Health and Social Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ag009978-02)
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG005561, R01AG09978-01)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH016806)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Keywords
religious service attendance, mortality, premature mortality, religious beliefs, health behavior, physical activity, religiosity and health
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black or African American, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Mortality, Religion and Psychology, Risk Factors, Social Behavior, Social Support, United States, Health Behavior, Proportional Hazards Models

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