Clear link between time spent in church and lower blood pressure

[lostinblue 1,989]

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111226/Clear-link-between-time-spent-in-church-and-lower-blood-pressure.aspx

Clear link between time spent in church and lower blood pressure

Published on December 26, 2011 at 4:02 AM · No Comments

inShare2Does a belief in God confer any health benefits? With the help of a large Norwegian longitudinal health study called HUNT, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) were able to find a clear relationship between time spent in church and lower blood pressure in both women and men.

The more time in church, the better

"We found that the more often HUNT participants went to church, the lower their blood pressure, even when we controlled for a number of other possible explanatory factors," says Torgeir Sørensen, a PhD candidate from the School of Theology and Religious Psychology Centre at Sykehuset Innlandet (Inland Hospital).

"This is the first study of its kind in Scandinavia. Previous research from the United States has shown that there is a possible link between people who attend church and blood pressure. However, large religious and cultural differences between the US and Norway make it difficult to transfer these findings to the Norwegian context," says Sørensen.

About 90% of the population of the county of Nord-Trøndelag, where the HUNT study was conducted, are members of the Norwegian state church, while Americans show a much broader distribution in their religious and ethical preferences.

"About 40% of the US population goes to church on a weekly basis, while the corresponding figure in Nord-Trøndelag County is 4%. For that reason, we did not expect to find any correlation between going to church and blood pressure in Nord-Trøndelag. Our findings, however, are almost identical to those previously reported from the United States. We were really surprised," Sørensen said.

The Bible and blood pressure "Since this is a cross-sectional study, it is not possible to say whether it was a health condition that affected the participants' religious activity, or whether it was the religious activity that affected the state of participants' health," says Professor Jostein Holmen from the Faculty of Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and one of the authors of the study.

A cross-sectional study says something about a group of people at a given time, but can say nothing about causation.

"In order to determine what causes the effect, we need new studies that look at the same people at different times," says Holmen.

For this study, church attendance was selected as a variable to represent religious activity, and blood pressure was selected as a variable that gives an indication of overall health with respect to a variety of diseases and conditions. The study found that the variable used to measure religious activities (church time) had a significant relationship to the variable used to measure health (blood pressure). In other words, those who were religiously active were healthier than those who were not religiously active.

"The study of the relationship between religion and health has rarely focused on other religions, such as Judaism and Islam. It is therefore difficult to say anything about whether or not this same association can be found in these communities," says Sørensen.

Humor, culture and faith

The residents of Nord-Trøndelag County have participated in three HUNT surveys since 1984. These studies have not only examined risk factors for disease and death, but have also evaluated factors that might contribute to good health. The second survey, HUNT 2, which was conducted in 1995-97, included questions about the participant's sense of humor in the overall questionnaire. The HUNT 3 study (2006-08) included questions about participation in cultural activities and religious beliefs in the questionnaire that was used as a part of the survey. All told, the HUNT databases contain information about approximately 120,000 people, and make it possible to integrate family data and individual data that then can be linked to Norway's national health registries.

"These factors have been poorly investigated in previous studies of different populations. The research into lifestyle and health issues mainly comes from the United States, while information from Europe and Scandinavia is very limited," says Holmen, who was one of the initiators of the first HUNT study in the early 1980s.

Earlier HUNT studies have shown a positive correlation between humor and good health, and participation in different cultural activities and good health.

"It would appear that the data we have been recording in the HUNT studies about religious beliefs is actually relevant to your health, and this is interesting in itself," Holmen says.

"The fact that churchgoers have lower blood pressure encourages us to continue to study this issue. We're just in the start-up phase of an exciting research area in Norway," he said.

Source: http://www.ntnu.edu/news/god-and-hypertension

[slim 1,530]

Relaxing for two or three hours every Sunday is probably good for anyone.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Does this mean that tithes may soon be picked up by prescription drug plans?

[Ban Hammer 13,508]

Does this mean that tithes may soon be picked up by prescription drug plans?

maybe not going to church will result in higher copays.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Relaxing for two or three hours every Sunday is probably good for anyone.

Two or three hours? I ain't going to yer church. I prefer Catholics, you do some aerobics, they feed you, and wine comes with the meal. After 45 minuted, you are back in your car headed for home.

[Danno 1,228]

Two or three hours? I ain't going to yer church. I prefer Catholics, you do some aerobics, they feed you, and wine comes with the meal. After 45 minuted, you are back in your car headed for home.

I have known of 2 hour services but have never heard of a 3 hour service..... might be why only 4% of the population up there go to church.

[BishopM 114]

Two or three hours? I ain't going to yer church. I prefer Catholics, you do some aerobics, they feed you, and wine comes with the meal. After 45 minuted, you are back in your car headed for home.

True dat!

Us Catholics will automatically get itchy for the door, or fall super-asleep, once an hour haz pazzed. Its like clockwork...

Blessings to VJ - Bishop

[slim 1,530]

Two or three hours? I ain't going to yer church.

Sunday School or Bible Study followed by an hour or so of worship. Counting the time sipping coffee and "keeping up with the Joneses" between the two, it's about three hours.

Many of the "super churches" now offer plays, movies or concerts in conjunction with worship services and many churches feature some sort of fellowship activities all day Sunday. Basketball leagues, knitting groups, etc. are all very popular.

And lets not forget about singles group, couples group, grief group, divorce support group, kids group, alcoholics/druggies group, choir practice, spring social planning group, etc.

If you try hard enough, you can almost fill up all your spare time at church.

I prefer Catholics, you do some aerobics, they feed you, and wine comes with the meal. After 45 minuted, you are back in your car headed for home.

Yeah, but three times a year isn't nearly enough to reduce your stress levels.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Two or three hours? I ain't going to yer church. I prefer Catholics, you do some aerobics, they feed you, and wine comes with the meal. After 45 minuted, you are back in your car headed for home.

[BishopM 114]

Yeah, but three times a year isn't nearly enough to reduce your stress levels.

Another cool thing about Catholic Church is that weekday services usually ditch all that unnecessary singing, get straight to the aerobics and offering, and we are outta there in 20-30 minutes.

We're efficient!

Edited December 28, 2011 by BishopM

[Danno 1,228]

Another cool thing about Catholic Church is that weekday services usually ditch all that unnecessary singing, get straight to the aerobics and offering, and we are outta there in 20-30 minutes.

We're efficient!

But I must ask... Efficient at what?

Getting the remaining parishioners in and out of mass?

When I was a child, we went from traditional mass to embracing the Hippy-Jesus concept of Church, the idea was to "reach more people" by becoming less Catholic and more Protestant-lite, (OR SO IT SEEMED)

sadly the results have not worked out so well.

Back then the Parish I went too had several double masses going on at the same time and those not early had to stand in the back... flowing all the way out into the hall, now we see the closing of churches all around the country, whole parishes sold off. Sometimes from self inflicted wounds but primarily by lack of attendees.

When the Guitar service and all that came in, I too thought is was "cool", apparently that cool factor lacked roots as those raised up on the

-new and improved mass, either dropped out or decided "Hey why go to Protestant-lite.. when I can just go to a protestant Church?'

We traded acoustic guitars for solid Catholic Doctrine, .. I'm not saying they could not have gone together but trading one for the other is what happened as this new "progressive wave" swept in.

I would wager you serious cash 90% of Catholics 50 years and younger could not even pass a basic test on Church history or doctrine, My mother's generation grasping of the subject is far superior than is mine.

I learned and retained more about Marine Corps history, tradition and laws in three months on Parris Island (while learning everything else) than I did in all the years in Catholic Church and Catechism.

Of course on Parris Island..... there we had no hip music, nor relaxed dress code what we did have was absolute silence from the recruits and meat and potatoes information from the lessons.

Now I am not suggesting the Church or catechism should be run like the Marine Corps (though it's one idea) but my friend, now we get back to that word "efficient" ....and that it was.

It was efficient at turning pimply faced teens into well disciplined, trained and confident men motivated for battle.

Who has the Catholic Church prepared for battle..... and what battle are they even in?

The Goal used to be to transform lives through knowing Christ, winning souls.

By any way you measure it, the last half century has been a dismal failure, a failure so big if one were to have predicted it at Vatican 2 no one could have believed it.

But trying to end on a positive note, if indeed the Catholic Church was Founded by Christ, then the "Gates of hell shall not prevail against it".

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

But I must ask... Efficient at what?

Getting the remaining parishioners in and out of mass?

You gotta be efficient, when you have 4 or 5 showings every Sunday, plus Saturday evening services, at near capacity in multiple languages. It's not like some small service once on Sunday, with a few dozen people showing up. And, the priest doesn't go looking for you when you don't show up, or open up the offering envelopes to shame you in front of the congregation, or audit your books to make sure you are paying your required tithe. But, to each their own,

Edited December 28, 2011 by ☼

[Danno 1,228]

You gotta be efficient, when you have 4 or 5 showings every Sunday, plus Saturday evening services, at near capacity in multiple languages. It's not like some small service once on Sunday, with a few dozen people showing up. And, the priest doesn't go looking for you when you don't show up, or open up the offering envelopes to shame you in front of the congregation, or audit your books to make sure you are paying your required tithe. But, to each their own,

Do you really believe this is the norm in any but a minuscule number of congregations?

On the Other hand, I do recall as a Child Father Miller, stopping his mass, calling my mom out by name asking why she was late,

I can still hear that booming voice in that old style marbled church as me and my three siblings stood there wondering why our name just rang out.

[BishopM 114]

But I must ask... Efficient at what?

Getting the remaining parishioners in and out of mass?

When I was a child, we went from traditional mass to embracing the Hippy-Jesus concept of Church, the idea was to "reach more people" by becoming less Catholic and more Protestant-lite, (OR SO IT SEEMED)

sadly the results have not worked out so well.

Back then the Parish I went too had several double masses going on at the same time and those not early had to stand in the back... flowing all the way out into the hall, now we see the closing of churches all around the country, whole parishes sold off. Sometimes from self inflicted wounds but primarily by lack of attendees.

When the Guitar service and all that came in, I too thought is was "cool", apparently that cool factor lacked roots as those raised up on the

-new and improved mass, either dropped out or decided "Hey why go to Protestant-lite.. when I can just go to a protestant Church?'

We traded acoustic guitars for solid Catholic Doctrine, .. I'm not saying they could not have gone together but trading one for the other is what happened as this new "progressive wave" swept in.

I would wager you serious cash 90% of Catholics 50 years and younger could not even pass a basic test on Church history or doctrine, My mother's generation grasping of the subject is far superior than is mine.

I learned and retained more about Marine Corps history, tradition and laws in three months on Parris Island (while learning everything else) than I did in all the years in Catholic Church and Catechism.

Of course on Parris Island..... there we had no hip music, nor relaxed dress code what we did have was absolute silence from the recruits and meat and potatoes information from the lessons.

Now I am not suggesting the Church or catechism should be run like the Marine Corps (though it's one idea) but my friend, now we get back to that word "efficient" ....and that it was.

It was efficient at turning pimply faced teens into well disciplined, trained and confident men motivated for battle.

Who has the Catholic Church prepared for battle..... and what battle are they even in?

The Goal used to be to transform lives through knowing Christ, winning souls.

By any way you measure it, the last half century has been a dismal failure, a failure so big if one were to have predicted it at Vatican 2 no one could have believed it.

But trying to end on a positive note, if indeed the Catholic Church was Founded by Christ, then the "Gates of hell shall not prevail against it".

I like the efficiency of being able to drop in for a 20-30 minute mass before work in the morning. That is efficient

I visited a different Catholic Church a couple weeks and had the best mass experience. It was a very old Church, over 150 years, next to the Capital Building in DC. In that mass, the Priest performed the pre-vatican traditional mass with his back to the congragation. As a bonus, there was also no singing (, I don't much care for singing cuz I can't sing ). The only time the Priest faced the congregation was during the homily. But, I usually don't much care for most Priest's homilies either....so if he had dropped that an gone straight to the Eucharist (the only reason I go to mass) then it would have been perfect, in my opinion It was a Sunday morning mass and we were out in 30 minutes, and I got all that I wanted/needed from that mass.

I have never thought of the Catholic Church as preparing me for 'battle'... That never seemed our gig, but rather a Protestant gig (which they are very good at...) I always thought of Catholic Church as a 'toolbox' for existential growth toward a closer understanding of God. Again though, thats probably just me...

Blessings!

Bishop

[ready4ONE 5,400]

I like, to a degree, Catholic services. Short, to the point, usually decent music, and on with your day!