title: Understanding the connection between spiritual well-being and physical health: an examination of ambulatory blood pressure, inflammation, blood lipids and fasting glucose.
abstract: Growing research has demonstrated a link between spiritual well-being and better health; however, little is known about possible physiological mechanisms. In a sample of highly religious healthy male and female adults (n = 100) ages 19-59 (m = 28.28) we examined the influence of spiritual well-being, as measured by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp-Ex), on physiological risk factors for heart disease. Specifically we examined 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP), inflammation (hs-C-reactive protein), fasting glucose, and blood lipids. Regression analyses reveal that higher levels of spiritual-wellness (total FACIT-Sp-Ex score) was significantly related to lower systolic ambulatory BP (β = -.345; P < .001), diastolic ambulatory BP (β = -.24; P = .02), hs-C-reactive protein (β = -.23; P = .04), fasting glucose (β = -.28; P = .006), and marginally lower triglycerides (β = -.21; P = .09) and VLDL (β = -.21; P = .10) controlling for age, gender, and church attendance. Results remained generally consistent across the Meaning, Peace, Faith and Additional Spiritual Concerns subscales of the FACIT-Sp-Ex. Spiritual well-being may be cardio protective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602-5543, USA. julianne_holt-lunstad@byu.edu
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holt-Lunstad
authors.forename: Patrick R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandberg
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008019:Life Style; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D029181:Spirituality
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008055:Lipids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein