ATLANTA (Reuters Health) - Religion appears to promote health and therefore physicians should consider attending to their patients' spiritual beliefs, findings of a literature review suggest.
According to Dr. Mark Su from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, 94% of the American public believes in a God or a ``higher power,'' and most claim that religion is ``fairly'' or ''very'' important in their lives.
However, American physicians tend to be less likely than their patients to believe in God--only 64% compared to 91%, one survey found.
``Patients are more likely to desire spiritual issues to be discussed in their healthcare than are physicians to actually address them,'' Su notes. According to one survey, a large number of patients wanted their physician to pray with them, Su points out.
Su reviewed the literature on religion and health, restricting the review to studies pertaining to the Judeo-Christian religion, ``due to the large number of studies available within this sect compared to other religions, as well as the relevant pertinence that it has among the majority of US citizens.''
According to Su, of the 212 studies examining the effects of religious commitment on healthcare outcomes, 75% showed a positive benefit, 17% had mixed or no effect, and 7% showed a negative effect.
Positive effects of religion were found in most or all studies of drug use, adjustment or coping, depression, alcohol abuse, marital adjustment, life satisfaction, anxiety and extramarital or premarital sexual activity.
He reported the findings here at the 2001 Annual Scientific Assembly of the American Academy of Family Physicians (news - web sites).
``I can't speculate whether health is promoted by the religion itself or the healthy behaviors that religious people are often encouraged to practice,'' Su told Reuters Health.
``Some researchers think that people who are more religious are taught not to drink or smoke, but others believe the health benefits are due to feelings of peace and a sense of purpose, confidence and identity that religion can promote,'' he added.
Su also pointed out that addressing patients' spiritual beliefs can strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.
``Most doctors are concerned that they are crossing boundaries if they bring up spiritual beliefs,'' he said. ``But I treat it in the same way as discussing their use of alcohol or tobacco. I just take it as part of being interested in what is going on with their lives.
``Doctors should deal with their patients on a case-by-case basis,'' Su added. ``The bottom line is patient sensitivity--the literature does not justify proselytizing.
``If a patient isn't interested in discussing it, then I don't push them about it,'' he said. ``But I think it's reasonable for patients to mention that they have certain religious or spiritual beliefs.''