RESUMEN
This study aimed to analyze the moderating effect of religion between sociodemographic variables, lifestyle, and self-referred physical and mental health. Cross-sectional study with non-randomized sample of 392 participants. The Eight Natural Remedies Questionnaire was used to assess lifestyle. Religion was found to be positive predictor between age, education and lifestyle, better physical and mental health. Being an Adventist positively influenced the lifestyle (r = 0.680; p < 0.05) and consequently physical (r = 0.222) and mental health (r = 0.220). Belonging to a religion that emphasizes a healthy lifestyle is a contributing factor toward better lifestyle, physical and mental health.
Asunto(s)
Escolaridad , Salud , Análisis de Clases Latentes , Estilo de Vida , Religión , Factores de Edad , Estudios Transversales , Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Despite recent advances in the field of religion and health, meaningful findings will increasingly depend on the capacity to conceptualize "religion" properly. To date, scientists' conception of religion has been shaped by the Enlightenment paradigm. However, recent developments in philosophy make the "objectivity" of the Enlightenment paradigm problematic, if not untenable. Contrary to common understanding, the secularism essential to the Enlightenment paradigm does not enjoy any special privilege over religious ways of seeing the world, because both religious and secular worldviews constitute self-referentially complete interpretations of the human condition. If there is no objective frame of reference from which to measure religiousness, then the study of religion and health is fundamentally contingent on the specific languages and contexts in which particular religions find expression. While applying this cultural-linguistic approach to religion would require significant changes in the existing methods for studying religion and health, such changes may generate a deeper understanding of this relationship.