Relationship between religiosity and health: evidence from a post-communist country.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between religiosity and health has been investigated in the western world for decades. However, very little data are available from the post-communist region of Europe, where religion was suppressed for a long time.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to lessen this gap.


METHODS
In 2002, 13 years after the regime change, 12,643 persons (mean age = 47.6 ± 17.9 years; 44.8 % male) were interviewed in a Hungarian representative survey. The relationship of mental and physical health indicators with religious worship and personal importance of religion-controlling for several psychological and lifestyle characteristics-were analyzed using the general linear model procedure.


RESULTS
Our results showed that practicing religion was largely associated with better mental health and more favorable physical health status. However, persons being religious in their own way tended to show more unfavourable results across several variables when compared to those practicing religion regularly in a religious community or even to those considering themselves as non-religious. The personal importance of religion showed a mixed pattern, since it was positively associated not only with well-being but depression and anxiety as well.


CONCLUSIONS
We can conclude that even after an anti-religious totalitarian political system practicing religion still remained a health protecting factor.
Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4. XX. em., 1089, Budapest, Hungary, konbar@net.sote.hu.
Barna
B
Konkolÿ Thege
János
J
Pilling
András
A
Székely
Mária S
MS
Kopp
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012067:Religion; D012649:Self Concept; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult