OBJECTIVES Previous research has identified an inverse relationship between religiosity/spirituality and depressive symptoms. However, prospective studies are needed. This study investigates the association between antenatal religiosity/spirituality and postpartum depression, controlling for antenatal depressive symptoms, social support, and other potential confounders. METHODS This is a pros...

Family and friends who provide unpaid care to an individual with a disease or disability (known as informal caregivers) experience numerous threats to their physical health as a result of providing care. In spite of evidence that participation in physical and leisure activities can be health promoting, informal caregivers have reported diminished or completely absent leisure participation. Hath...

I began my study of religion as a hobby years before I formally entered the academic world. During my informal studies I never gave much thought to just what religion is. I gleaned the bookstore shelves in sections marked " Religion, " never considering why some books appeared on these shelves and others appeared on the " New Age and Occult " section. My study of religion was simple — my concep...

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To evaluate the extent to which religious affiliation and self-identified religious importance affect advance care planning (ACP) via beliefs about control over life length and end-of-life values. DESIGN AND METHODS Three hundred and five adults aged 55 and older from diverse racial and socioeconomic groups seeking outpatient care in New Jersey were surveyed. Measures inc...

BACKGROUND Tobacco use during pregnancy is associated with adverse child outcomes. There is evidence that religiosity/spirituality is associated with less tobacco use. This study aims to investigate the association further, including an assessment of overall religiousness and specific aspects of religiosity/spirituality. METHODS 404 pregnant women receiving prenatal care in three southern obs...

For over a century, social scientists have debated how educational attainment impacts religious belief. In this paper, I use Canadian compulsory schooling laws to identify the relationship between completed schooling and later religiosity. I find that higher levels of education lead to lower levels of religious participation later in life. An additional year of education leads to a 4-percentage...

Religion has a powerful influence on learning and development, and this provides an important cultural foundation for stratification processes. Findings from prior studies of the connection between religion and educational attainment are mixed, but most studies point to negative effects of sectarian Protestant affiliation and fundamentalist beliefs in the inerrancy of sacred texts on educationa...

The social engagement and self-rated health of retirees were studied for gender differences in a Nigerian setting. The study was based on the hypothesis that gender difference in the level of social engagement entailing particularly, the traditional ceremonies may be reflected in differential self-rated health. The engagement (visitations, traditional ceremonies, religious activities and leisur...