The impact of religious beliefs on the health of the residents—Evidence from China

Abstract

Summary This study conducted empirical research on Chinese residents to explore the relationship between religious beliefs and health based on the China General Social Survey (CGSS) data for 2015. Considering the reciprocal correlations between religion and health, this paper uses an instrumental variable to recognize religion's influence on health. The instrumental variable was the number of religious sites per 10 000 residents in every province (including autonomous regions and municipalities) in 2004. The results indicate that religion had different impacts on the health of different groups in China. It was found that religion significantly improved the health of those aged 60 or older; however, for those younger than 60 years old, their health was not affected by following a religion. Second, after classifying the samples according to urban and rural areas, it was found that religion significantly improved the health of urban residents, while rural residents were not affected by this factor.

Religion and the Mediating Role of Alexithymia in the Mental Distress of Healthcare Workers During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in a Psychiatric Hospital in China

“…In over half a century of living in different societies, religion stabilizes the mental health of those in Taiwan amidst the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic ( 4 ), but not in China. However, a previous study in China found a disparity in age and urbanization in the effect of religion on health, with religion significantly improving the health of urban residents and those over the age of 60 ( 36 ). However, another study also showed no association between religious belief and the health of elderly people ( 37 ).…”

Fluidity of Faith: Predictors of Religion in a Longitudinal Sample of Chinese Adults

“…One strand of the literature examines physical health (e.g., self-reported health, mortality), while another strand examines mental health (e.g., diagnosis or markers of depression). A handful of studies find that physical health and religiosity are negatively correlated (Doane and Elliott 2016;Han et al 2017;Leamaster and Hu 2014;Silverstein and Bengtson 2018), but the vast majority of studies in China and elsewhere find that physical health and religiosity are positively correlated (e.g., Gillum, King, and Obisesan 2008;Han, Zhou, and Meng 2020;Roth et al 2016;Vander-Weele, Yu, and Cozier 2017;Yeager et al 2006;Zeng, Gu, and George 2011;Zhang et al 2020;Zimmer et al 2020). Patterns for mental health are somewhat different.…”

How does religion affect health in the gold mining industry? Evidence from Nigeria

“…Regarding the second strand, Fruehwirth et al (2019) employ an instrumental variable (IV) (i.e., the plausibly random variation in the religiosity of adolescents' peers) and show that religiosity decreases adolescent depression by reducing stress. Han et al (2020) adopt the IV approach by using the number of religious sites and find that having a religious belief results in better health outcomes in older adults. The current study is more closer to the first strand; it provides another health outcome for women in Nigeria (in which religion plays a nonnegligible role) that is similar to Milazzo and Van de Walle (2021).…”