Study: Churchgoing Can Add Years to Your Life
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
By Robert Roy Britt
There are many things you can do to increase your life expectancy: exercise, eat well, take your medication … and go to church.
A new study finds people who attend religious services weekly live longer. Specifically, the research looked at how many years are added to life expectancy based on:
Regular physical exercise: 3.0 to 5.1 years
Proven therapeutic regimens: 2.1 to 3.7 years
Regular religious attendance: 1.8 to 3.1 years
The role of religion
The study, which is actually a review of existing research from the three categories, does not reveal what the link between faith and health might be.
“Religious attendance is not a mode of medical therapy,” said study leader Daniel Hall, a resident in general surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “While this study was not intended for use in clinical decision-making, these findings tell us that there is something to examine further.”
Hall is also an Episcopal priest.
Discussion
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