Researchers evaluated the religious practices of 92,395 post-menopausal women from a wide variety of faiths participating in the Women’s Health Initiative, a national long-term study on women’s health issues.
The study subjects, who said they attend religious services at least once a week, showed a 20 percent decrease in the overall risk of mortality compared with those not attending services at all.
The participants, ages 50 to 79, were asked how often they attend services, about their religious affiliation and whether they derive comfort from religious practices.
The study adjusted for the social support many derive from participation in communal organizations and group activities .
Findings of the study were published in Psychology and Health, the official journal of the European Health Psychology Society.
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