Lifetime Trauma, Praying for Others, and C-Reactive Protein.
Research indicates that praying for others may offset the effects of stress on self-rated health and psychological well-being. The purpose of the current study is to extend this literature by seeing whether praying for others moderates the effects of exposure to lifetime trauma on a key marker of inflammation: C-reactive protein. The data come from a recent nationwide survey of adults of all ages (N = 1,589). Levels of C-reactive protein were obtained from assays of blood spots drawn from a capillary fingerstick. The findings suggest that the magnitude of the relationship between lifetime trauma and C-reactive protein is completely offset for study participants who frequently pray for others. The theoretical implications of this research are discussed.
a Department of Health Behavior and Health Education , School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan , USA.
Neal
N
Krause
b Department of Psychology , University of Miami , Coral Gables , Florida , USA.
Gail
G
Ironson
c Department of Psychology , Bowling Green State University , Bowling Green , Kentucky , USA.
Kenneth I
KI
Pargament
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001244:Association; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
D002097:C-Reactive Protein