According to a new cardiovascular study, African-Americans who believe more in spirituality or attend religious events are likely to have good cardiovascular health because o an enhanced sense of faith and community goals.
African-Americans who attend church enjoy good heart health
American Heart Association researchers found that church-going African Americans or those who believe in prayer had better cardiovascular health than their peers. Attending church was associated with a 16% higher likelihood of achieving “middle” or “excellent” levels of physical exercise. Additionally, those who attended religious events most frequently had a 50% higher likelihood of stopping smoking.
Around 25% of then African-Americans that frequently pray privately have better heart health, according to study findings.
The AHA’s “Life’s Simple 7” indicators, which combine eating, exercise, and tobacco exposure with four physiological variables of blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels, were employed in this study. After accounting for all these health indicators for the study’s approximately 3,000 participants, the researchers gathered information to compare every subject’s religious views and sentiments toward spirituality.
Overall there is a connection between spirituality and quitting smoking, with 36% of the participants stopping smoking. Also, there was a correlation between physical exercise and spirituality, with an 11% increase in the odds of a person hitting moderate physical activity.
Lead study author LaPrincess C. Brewer said, “I was slightly surprised by the findings that multiple dimensions of religiosity and spirituality were associated with improved cardiovascular health across multiple health behaviors that are extremely challenging to change, such as diet, physical activity and smoking.”
There is a connection between heart health indicators and religiosity
Many of the study’s cardiovascular specialists and doctors expressed amazement at the complex relationship between important heart health indicators and an individual’s religious views. But this is the first investigation into the connections between religious belief and health.
Several patients prioritize their faith as they consider their health. Concentrating on religiosity in healthcare entails treating the individual as a whole rather than simply their illness.
