La religión y su influencia en las conductas de salud

Abstract

The influence of religious belief can be reflected in several aspects such as diet, social relationships, substance abuse, etc. Therefore, psychology studies the psychological phenomenon between religious practice and health. There are multiple studies that demonstrate a curved relationship between the two concepts mentioned above. The main objective of this present thesis is to analyze if anyone who believes in a particular religion can follow certain beneficial rules for a good health. A Health and Religion-Spirituality questionnaire (paper and online survey methods) explores religious beliefs (or the absence of those) as well as information on certain health habits and risky behaviors (tobacco consumption, alcohol, illegal drugs, doing exercise and make a diet). Among the whole of participants a division was made between religious and non-religious (N=170). The questionnaire rates that a 33,7 % of them were tobacco smokers, a 71,6 % of them were alcohol drinkers, a 17,8 % of them were drug abusers, a 62,7 % of them do exercise and finally, a 27,6 % of them make a diet plan. In addition, Chi-square test shows important and significant results in the area of tobacco consumption (x2 = 4,816; p < 0,05), also in relation to alcohol consumption (x2 = 16,526; p < 0,01) and the last one, illegal drug abuser (X2 = 10,979; p < 0,01). Those results that we have just mentioned above indicates that, far from being completely truth, following a religious group does not demonstrate risky health behaviors, however, it can be stated that the only difference is to denominate oneself religious or not.