Religious participation predicts diurnal cortisol profiles 10 years later via lower levels of religious struggle.

Abstract

Objective Multiple aspects of religion have been linked with a variety of physical health outcomes; however, rarely have investigators attempted to empirically test the mechanisms through which religiosity impacts health. The links between religious participation, religious coping, and diurnal cortisol patterns over a 10-year period in a national sample of adults in the United States were investigated. Method Participants included 1,470 respondents from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study who provided reports on religious participation, religious coping, and diurnal cortisol. Results Religious participation predicted steeper (“healthier”) cortisol slopes at the 10-year follow-up, controlling for potential confounds. Further, religious struggle (religious coping marked by tension and strain about religious and spiritual issues) mediated the prospective association between religious participation and cortisol slope, such that greater religious attendance predicted lower levels of religious struggle 10 years later, which in turn was linked with a steeper cortisol slope; this effect remained strong when controlling for general emotional coping and social support. Positive religious coping was unrelated to diurnal cortisol patterns. Conclusion These findings identify religious struggle as a mechanism through which religious participation impacts diurnal cortisol levels and suggest that diurnal cortisol is a plausible pathway through which aspects of religion influence long-term physical health.

Religious Participation and Biological Functioning in Mexico

“…We would add that WTHR is more sensitive to the physiological stress response than more general measures of body mass. In this context, our findings are also consistent with previous studies linking religious involvement with lower cortisol levels (Ironson et al, 2002; Tobin & Slatcher, 2016).…”

“…In general, research shows that various indicators of religious involvement are associated with favorable biomarker profiles across sympathetic nervous, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), cardiovascular, immune, and metabolic systems (Hill, 2010; Hill et al, 2016b; Seeman et al, 2003; Seybold, 2007). When limited to studies of older adults, there is evidence that religious involvement is associated with lower levels of blood pressure (Das & Nairn, 2016; Hill, Rote, Ellison, & Burdette, 2014; Koenig et al, 1998; Krause et al, 2002; Maselko, Kubzansky, Kawachi, Seeman, & Berkman, 2007), pulse rate (Hill et al, 2014), C-reactive protein (CRP; Das & Nairn, 2016; Ferraro & Kim, 2014; Gillum et al, 2008; Hill et al, 2014; King, Mainous, & Pearson, 2002; King, Mainous, Steyer, & Pearson, 2001), interleukin-6 (Koenig et al, 1997; Lutgendorf, Russell, Ullrich, Harris, & Wallace, 2004), white blood cells (King et al, 2001), Epstein-Barr virus (Das & Nairn, 2016; Hill et al, 2014), epinephrine (Maselko et al, 2007), cortisol (Ironson et al, 2002; Tobin & Slatcher, 2016), and overall allostatic load (Hill et al, 2014; Maselko et al, 2007). Evidence concerning the metabolic system is weak and mixed.…”

Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Life Satisfaction among Young Roman Catholics: The Mediating Role of Gratitude

“…Investigations point to a normative character of R/S struggles that constitute an important and expected part of human life (Exline et al 2014a(Exline et al , 2014bExline and Rose 2005;Magyar-Russell et al 2014;Sedlar et al 2018;Tobin and Slatcher 2016). In fact, some theologians maintain that religious doubts are inevitable and may play a beneficial role in personal spiritual growth (Ellison et al 2013).…”

Plasma protein expression profiles, cardiovascular disease, and religious struggles among South Asians in the MASALA study

“…In this case, it is plausible that stress from religious struggles has a stronger effect on risk of CVD than CFB concentrations, thereby cancelling out the positive impact of greater concentrations of CFB. Religious struggles have not been investigated in relationship to CVD risk, but have been shown in previous studies to associate with stress, inflammation, and immune markers such as cortisol 53 , CD4 levels 54 , and interleukin-6 55 .…”