title: Health impact of Jewish religious observance in the USA: findings from the 2000-01 National Jewish Population Survey.
abstract: Using data from the 2000-01 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS) (N = 5,148), effects of eight religious measures were investigated in relation to two health outcomes, standard single-item indicators of self-rated health and presence of an activity-limiting health condition. Seven of the religious measures were associated bivariately with one or both health indicators. Through two-step OLS regression of each health indicator onto all of the religious measures, adjusting for age and other sociodemographic correlates, two measures of synagogue involvement remained statistically significant. Follow-up analysis revealed a net health impact of religious observance primarily limited to Orthodox and Conservative Jews.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97236, Waco, TX 76798, USA. jeff_levin@baylor.edu
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007585:Jews / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007599:Judaism / Q000523:psychology*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012945:Social Values / Q000208:ethnology; D029181:Spirituality; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult