Regular churchgoers do not just get food for their souls; they seem to obtain something good for their physical health as well. Researchers found that people who regularly attend church have longer lifespans.
Lower Risk Of Cancer
The research, which was published on the JAMA Network, examined almost 75,000 female nurses aged 30 to 55 working in the United States. Researchers found that respondents who attended church more than once a week are 33 percent less likely to die from cancer compared with women who forego frequent church attendance. Meanwhile, women who attended religious services less than once a week are 13 percent less likely to have cancer-related deaths.
Physical And Mental Health Benefits
Women who are regular church attendees have higher degrees of social support and optimism, lower chances of being depressed and less likely to smoke cigarettes. Tyler J. VanderWeele, the study's lead author and epidemiology professor in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said religious services help encourage self-discipline, a purpose in life and a sense of meaning. Regularly attending church also gives these women a spiritual experience.
Majority of the women involved in the study were either Catholic or Protestant, CNN reported. The researchers do not know if the same health benefits can also occur among women practicing other religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
Dr. Dan German Blazer II, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, said it's highly possible that regularly attending religious services have benefits to churchgoers' health. Blazer said some people have "a more integrated life" when they attend church often, according to CNN.
Doctors Should Encourage Patients To Attend Church
Researchers said physicians should consider looking into religion and spirituality as additional treatment for their patients, the Washington Post reported. The study's authors are not saying that doctors should require their patients to go to church regularly, but those who are religious should be encouraged to attend church because it serves as meaningful social interaction.
VanderWeele said the lower risks of dying from breast cancer among women who regularly attend church surprised them at first. Women who are frequent churchgoers seem to develop optimism and hope in spite of their illness.
The support of a religious community can also boost a patient's strength when it comes to battling their diseases. Daniel Hall, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said religious individuals might view the new study as proof that there is a God listening to their prayers when they are at church, the Washington Post added.
