Differences in religiosity (pt 2: Effects?)
As discussed yesterday, women are usually found to be more religious than men. What effects, if any, does this have on their lives? Norton et al (2006) found in an elderly population (ages 65-100, non-senile) of members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, religious involvement correlated with lower levels of depression in women, but higher levels in men. Ferraro and Albrecht-Jensen (1991) found that greater religious involvement was correlated with better health at all ages and genders, but that more conservative religious affiliation was correlated with worse health. Maselko and Kubzansky (2005) examined the effect of public religious activity, private religious activity, and spiritual experiences on "health and well-being" (a composite score of "psychological distress, happiness and self-rated health"). They found that while public religious activity had a positive effect on the well-being of both men and women, spiritual experiences had a positive effect on the well-being of women only. McCullough and Laurenceau (2005) examined health trajectory over a course of decades, and found that religiosity predicted better health trajectories in women, but not men.
What is the relationship suggested by these findings? Mitchell and Weatherly (2000) suggest that reduced health leads to less functional ability, and therefore, to reduced participation in church-based activities. Mitchell and Weatherly also suggest that reduced ability may lead to depressive symptoms. Conclusions about the effect of religious activity on health are so confounded with ability to participate that this example is used in Christenfeld et al's 2004 review on "the illusion of statistical control."
Perhaps the correct question to be asking is: "what activities do people give up first?" When we looked at hip replacement ( 9/26/06), we found that women would put off hip replacement until they were far more incapacitated than their male counterparts. Reduced mobility didn't seem to be as much of a motivating factor for women, which might lead them to self-report their health as "acceptable" when their mobility is reduced.
Perhaps what we should be noting here is not that women with high religiosity tend to be healthier, but that women who are not healthy seem to have reduced religiosity. Perhaps women are expecting more results from their faith than men are.
What is the relationship suggested by these findings? Mitchell and Weatherly (2000) suggest that reduced health leads to less functional ability, and therefore, to reduced participation in church-based activities. Mitchell and Weatherly also suggest that reduced ability may lead to depressive symptoms. Conclusions about the effect of religious activity on health are so confounded with ability to participate that this example is used in Christenfeld et al's 2004 review on "the illusion of statistical control."
Perhaps the correct question to be asking is: "what activities do people give up first?" When we looked at hip replacement ( 9/26/06), we found that women would put off hip replacement until they were far more incapacitated than their male counterparts. Reduced mobility didn't seem to be as much of a motivating factor for women, which might lead them to self-report their health as "acceptable" when their mobility is reduced.
Perhaps what we should be noting here is not that women with high religiosity tend to be healthier, but that women who are not healthy seem to have reduced religiosity. Perhaps women are expecting more results from their faith than men are.