Does religious activity improve health outcomes? A critical review of the recent literature.

OBJECTIVE: Many Americans use religious activity to cope with stressful life events. Our goal was to review systematically the recent medical literature to assess the role of religion in health outcomes. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a comprehensive literature search using MEDLINE to identify studies published in the English language between January 1999 and June 2003 describing the effect of religion on health outcomes. The search strategy used the medical subject headings (MeSH) of religion; religion AND medicine; religion OR intercessory prayer; prayer; prayer therapy; religious rites; faith; medicine, traditional; religiosity; religion AND psychology; and religion AND health. STUDY SELECTION: Religious, but not spiritual, interventions were selected for inclusion. Thus, papers describing interventions such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and qigong were excluded. Manuscripts describing randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and partnerships with faith-based organizations were included. DATA EXTRACTION: We found five randomized controlled trials, four clinical trials, and seven faith-based partnerships that describe the impact of religious intervention on health outcomes. Papers were analyzed by four reviewers using a modified Delphi technique to reach consensus. DATA SYNTHESIS: Religious intervention such as intercessory prayer may improve success rates of in vitro fertilization, decrease length of hospital stay and duration of fever in septic patients, increase immune function, improve rheumatoid arthritis, and reduce anxiety. Frequent attendance at religious services likely improves health behaviors. Moreover, prayer may decrease adverse outcomes in patients with cardiac disease. CONCLUSIONS: Religious activity may improve health outcomes.

Systematic review of clinical trials examining the effects of religion on health.

Using MEDLINE, (limited to the English language and the reference lists of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we assessed the impact of religion on health outcomes via systematic, critical review of the medical literature. All RCTs published from 1966 to 1999 and all non-RCTs published from 1996 to 1999 that assessed a relationship between religion and measurable health outcome were examined. We excluded studies dealing with non-religious spirituality, ethical issues, coping, well-being, or life satisfaction. We used the Canadian Medical Association Journal's guidelines for systematic review of the medical literature to evaluate each manuscript. Nine RCTs and 25 non-RCTs met these inclusion/exclusion criteria. Randomized controlled trials showed that intercessory prayer may improvehealth outcomes in patients admitted to a coronary care unit but showed no effect on alcohol abuse. Islamic-based psychotherapy speeds recovery from anxiety and depression in Muslims. Non-RCTs indicate that religious activities appear to benefit blood pressure, immune function, depression, and mortality.