would like to point out a few things. Religious beliefs may in fact be
helpful for health promotion practices. As scientists We have a tendency to
consider  religious myths as irrelevant or counterproductive. One thing we
do not think about is the fact that people who have faith go to God, saints
or other religious symbols for guidance and help. I feel that this is
nothing more than seeking social support. As health educators, we should
learn about these "relationships" and try to incorporate them in our
interventions. The beliefs of the middle ages are far from being a thing of
the past. Yet, I believe that by being thoughtful, tactful and creative, we
can use some of these beliefs to help people and that exploring their
beliefs can indeed allow us to better frame our health messages.

Nader Nassif
Doctoral Candidate
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham AL USA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Raphael" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2002 11:18 AM
Subject: Re: God is good medicine


> great!  I saw that story too.  Just like in the middle ages, deal with the
> difficulties in your present life by looking to the new one coming!
>
> God is obviously  a supporter of the status quo.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Susan Himel <[log in to unmask]>@YorkU.CA> on 04/05/2002 11:17:29 AM
>
> Please respond to Health Promotion on the Internet <[log in to unmask]>
>
>   Sent         Health Promotion on the Internet
>   by:          <[log in to unmask]>
>
>   To:          [log in to unmask]
>
>   cc:          (bcc: Dennis Raphael/Atkinson)
>
>
>
>   Subject      God is good medicine
>   :
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> another interesting twist on the social determinants/lifestyle debate ...
the
> article is too long for click4hp, so if you want to read it in it's
entirety,
> goto www.globeandmail.com and search for the article.
>
> God is good medicine
> Want to live a longer, healthier life? The answer may be in your place of
> worship, researchers are finding
> RON CSILLAG, Special to The Globe and Mail, Tuesday, April  2, 2002
>
>
> TORONTO --  Health-club membership: check. Ginkgo-and-kelp caplets: check.
> Cigarettes, down; veggies, up: check. Religion: che. . . what?
>
> Yes, health nuts and slugabeds alike, it's time to acknowledge something
you
> may have heard in Sunday school or while perched on Grandma's knee: Like
> spinach, God is good for you.
>
> Medical science, especially in the West, may still turn up its nose at the
mix
> of health and spirituality, but it's slowing coming around. At least 80 of
125
> medical schools in the United States offer courses in religion and
medicine. In
> Canada, the Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care is
> calling for papers for a big conference in October at the University of
Toronto
> on Spirituality and Health Care.
>
> The research -- scads of it -- continues to confirm more or less the same
> thing: People who follow a religious/spiritual path are more likely to
enjoy
> greater longevity and superior overall health than those who do not. And
> prayer, meditation and other mind-body approaches, whether from the
Eastern or
> Western religious models, appear to be beneficial to the healing process.
>
> That's not to suggest that atheists, agnostics and secular humanists will
keel
> over tomorrow from heart attacks, or that the faithful are immune from
> alcoholism or obesity. While not all of us do such a great job of
following the
> dictates of our religions and may enjoy good health anyway, the link
between
> spiritual engagement and healthy behaviour is, finally, as close to
undeniable
> as it has ever been.
>
> ___
>
> At last count, more than 1,200 studies and 400 reviews, from Canada,
Europe and
> the United States, show that:
>  Those who regularly attend a house of worship have demonstrably lower
rates of
> illness and death than do infrequent or non-attenders.
>  For each of the three leading causes of death in North America -- heart
> disease, cancer and hypertension -- people who report a religious
affiliation
> have lower rates of illness and higher rates of recovery.
>  Older adults who participate in private and congregational worship
exhibit
> fewer symptoms, less disability and lower rates of depression, chronic
anxiety,
> and dementia than those who do not.
>  Actively religious people live longer, on average, than the non-religious
(up
> to seven years longer, say some studies). This holds true even when
controlling
> for the fact that religious people tend to avoid health risks such as
smoking,
> drinking and promiscuity.
>  Among African-Americans, religious participation has been found to be the
> single strongest determinant of psychological well-being -- more so than
> physical health or financial status.
>  Meditation and prayer have been found to improve patients' overall
well-being.
> As your doctor might say, they can't hurt.
>
> The newest study, in this week's International Journal of Psychiatry in
> Medicine, found that that people who didn't attend services regularly were
> twice as likely to die of noncancerous digestive diseases, 21 per cent
more
> likely to die of cardiovascular disease, including heart and stroke, and
66 oer
> cent more likely to die to respiratory diseases, other than cancer.
>
> In all, the research points in one direction, at least as far as the
> psychological benefits of religion go: High, even moderate, levels of
religious
> faith and/or spiritual awareness are associated with greater resilience to
> stress, lower levels of anxiety, better coping skills, a greater sense of
> belonging, and generally, a sunnier, more serene, take on life.
> ____
>
> There are two groundbreaking books on the subject: The Handbook of
Religion and
> Health, a 712-page bruiser that sifts through the studies linking
religious
> practice with health, and the far more accessible God, Faith and Health by
Dr.
> Jeff Levin, North America's premier chronicler of the new field and among
those
> experts to note that followers of certain faith groups do better than
others
> when it comes to disease and death.
> ______
>
> Copyright 2002 | Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc.
>
> Send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] to unsubscribe
> See: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html to alter your
subscription
>
> Send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] to unsubscribe
> See: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html to alter your
subscription

Send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] to unsubscribe
See: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html to alter your subscription