title: Culture, spirituality, religion and health: looking at the big picture.
abstract: Religion provides things that are good for health and wellbeing, including social support, existential meaning, a sense of purpose, a coherent belief system and a clear moral code. But these benefits can also come from other sources. Conversely, religion is shaped by its social context in ways that affect its social role. Religion is no panacea when it comes to improving health. Religion's role in health needs to be examined in a broad context, especially the ways in which culture influences religion's expression of the spiritual.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT. richard.eckersley@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Eckersley
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012931:Social Environment; D029181:Spirituality