Predictors of Preventive Health Care Use Among Middle-aged and Older Adults in Mexico: The Role of Religion

Abstract

Research has shown that religion is associated with a wide range of health behaviors among adults of all ages. Although there is strong support for religion's influence on behaviors such as drinking and smoking, less is known about the possible relationship between religion and the use of preventive health services. This relationship may be particularly important in Mexico, a country with high levels of religiousness and low levels of preventive service utilization. The current study uses a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults in Mexico (n = 9,890) to test the association between three facets of religion and three preventive services aimed at detecting chronic conditions or underlying risk factors. The findings show that religious salience is significantly related to the use of blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, even after controlling for a variety of social, demographic, and health-related factors. In addition, attending religious services and participating in religious activities are both positively associated with blood pressure and diabetes screening. This type of research adds to our knowledge of the determinants of preventive service utilization, as well as to the burgeoning literature on religion and health. Furthermore, because the vast majority of research in this field takes place in more developed and Westernized countries, such as the US and Western Europe, analyzing this relationship in a sample of older Mexicans is critical for providing the field with a more comparative orientation.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Determinants of the Use of Periodic Health Examinations: Public vs. Private Sector

“…Those who were married, religious, or resided in rural areas were more likely to use public PHEs than their counterparts. The positive relationship between public PHE use and religious belief is consistent with previous findings (Benjamins 2007). This fact might be due to religious doctrines that emphasize physical as well as spiritual health.…”

Religion as a Social Determinant of Maternal Health Care Service Utilisation in Nigeria

“…However, the WHO list of social determinants of health may not be exhaustive as religion was not recognised as a social determinant of health contrary to several research findings that religion is a significant correlate of health care utilisation (Mekonnen & Mekonnen, 2002;Benjamins, 2005;Gyimah, Takyi & Addai, 2006;Benjamins, 2007) and improved health outcomes (McCullough, Hoyt, Larson, Koenig & Thoresen, 2000;Musick, House & Williams, 2004;Hebert, Dang & Schulz, 2007). Research has further demonstrated that religion not only has profound effect on the health care beliefs and behaviours of people, but also the interpretation of religious teachings may influence utilisation of reproductive health care services (Testerman, 1997;Maguranyanga, 2011; United Nations Development Programme [UNDP], 2011;Rumun, 2014).…”

Religion, spirituality and cardiovascular disease: research, clinical implications, and opportunities in Brazil

“…Of the 14 studies with the most rigorous designs, eight (57%) reported positive relationships with better cognitive function [198][199][200][201][202][203][204][205]. Three studies, however, reported worse cognitive funcitoning in those who were more R/S [206][207][208]. The latter may be due to the fact that R/S persons tend to live longer than less religious individuals, increasing the likelihood that they will live to an older age when cognitive problems tend to develop.…”