The shrinking of the Great Salt Lake inspired an enormous sense of urgency and unity. Millions of dollars were raised and many organizations came together to work on solving the critical health issue. Yet Wheatley researchers argue there's another health factor that needs equal attention— one that the U.S. healthcare system has largely been ignoring.
In a new op-ed at Deseret News, Wheatley Distinguished Fellow Shima Baughman, Fellow Loren Marks, and Religion Initiative Director Paul Lambert, along with professor Harold Koenig from Duke University, make a case for religion receiving a spot in the healthcare discussion.
The opinion piece is based on the findings of the authors' recent research report, The Religion and Physical Health Connection, which was released by Wheatley Institute. "We analyzed findings drawn from Oxford University’s three Handbooks of Religion and Health, covering the best existing research in the field [of religion and health]", the researchers explain. "Of 1,069 high-quality studies across 15 physical health domains, 876 found positive associations between religious involvement and physical health and only 124 found negative ones — a ratio of roughly 7 to 1. The strongest signals come from the same areas that American medicine spends the most time and money on." Some of the health phenomena analyzed by the study included cigarette smoking, exercise, longevity, substance abuse and addition, and immune function.
If religion is often associated with better health outcomes, what does this mean practically for healthcare providers? "A wise approach would be voluntary, evidence-based and pluralistic," the four authors say, giving suggestions for how health professionals can talk to patients. "No physician can prescribe belief, but belief is not what the best research is measuring. The best studies track attendance, community membership, and shared practice — things people can choose."
Read the full article on Deseret News.
About the Authors:
Shima Baughman is a distinguished fellow of religion at Wheatley Institute. She is also the Woodruff J. Deem Professor of Law at the BYU J. Reuben Clark Law School. She is one of the top cited faculty in her field and a nationally recognized expert on bail, prosecutors, and police.
Loren Marks is a Professor of Family Life at Brigham Young University and a Co-Director of the American Families of Faith National Research Project. Dr. Marks’ research foci include religion and families, including and especially racial minority families.
Harold Koenig is the Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University, and has researched the connection between religion and health for decades. He is an adjunct or visiting professor at several universities across the globe, including in Saudi Arabia, the People's Republic of China, and Iran.
Dr. Paul Lambert is the Religion Initiative Director at Wheatley Institute. He is a leading expert on religious pluralism in society, including the role of pluralism in economics and business.