The role of patient religiosity in the evaluation and treatment outcomes for chronic HCV infection

The Moderator Role of Spirituality on the Relationship between Fear of COVID-19 and Psychological Well-Being

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Maintaining Health and Well-Being by Putting Faith into Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Anxiety and fear adversely affect the physiological systems that protect individuals from infection. This article comments on the role that religious faith and practice can play in helping individuals remain free from infection by the coronavirus and in helping to moderate the effects of infection if that should occur. The author provides six recommendations to help individuals maintain spiritual, mental, and physical resilience during these anxious times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Religiosity/Spirituality and Physiological Markers of Health

The long-standing interest in the effects of religiosity and spirituality (R/S) on health outcomes has given rise to a large and diverse literature. We conducted a meta-analysis on research involving R/S and physiological markers of health to elucidate both the scope and mechanism(s) of this phenomenon. A combined analysis found a significant, but small, beneficial effect. Subgroup analyses found that some measures of both extrinsic and intrinsic religiosity were significantly associated with health. Several outcome measures, including blood pressure, C-reactive protein, and cardiovascular health markers, were significantly associated with R/S. Our findings suggest that R/S benefits health, perhaps through minimizing the disruptive effects of stress/depression on inflammation. We hope that researchers can use these results to guide efforts aimed at elucidating the true mechanism(s) linking religious/spiritual beliefs and physical health.

Effects of religiosity and religious coping on medication adherence and quality of life among people with epilepsy

The epidemiologic information demonstrates the importance of caring people with epilepsy (PWE). Indeed, the impaired quality of life (QoL) and medication nonadherence rate among PWE have been reported. However, religiosity and religious coping could be potential factors for clinicians to foster appropriate intervention on epileptic care. This study investigated two models to further understand the relationships between religiosity, religious coping (including positive and negative coping), medication adherence, and QoL in an Iranian sample with epilepsy. Eligible PWE (n=760) completed the religiosity scale (Duke University Religion Index; DUREL) at baseline; the religious coping scale (Brief Religious Coping Scale; Brief RCOPE) one month later; the medication adherence scale (Medication Adherence Report Scale; MARS-5) two months later; and the QoL scale (Quality of Life in Epilepsy; QOLIE-31) twelve months later. Their antiepileptic drug serum level was measured during the period they completed the MARS. Through structural equation modeling (SEM), we found that religiosity directly correlated with negative religious coping and medication adherence, and indirectly correlated with medication adherence through negative religious coping. Both positive and negative religious coping directly correlated with medication adherence and QoL. Therefore, religiosity and religious coping may be determinants of medication adherence and QoL in PWE; health professionals may consider asking PWE if religion is important to them and how they use it to cope with their epilepsy.

Spiritual and religious beliefs: do they matter in the medication adherence behaviour of hypertensive patients?

Background

Medication non-adherence is often a predominant problem in the management of hypertension and other chronic conditions. In explaining health behaviours, social determinants like spirituality and religiosity are increasingly identified to impact health and treatment. Although a number of researchers have found spirituality and religiosity to be primary resources among persons dealing with chronic disability and illness, studies relating this specifically to medication adherence have been limited.

Methods

Our study sought to examine the interrelationship between spirituality/ religiosity and medication adherence among 400 hypertensive patients 18 years old and above. Spiritual Perspective Scale, Duke Religion Index, and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale were used to determine spirituality, religiosity and medication adherence respectively.

Results

The majority (93.25%) of patients poorly adhered to their medications. While high spiritual and religious beliefs formed core components of the lifestyles of patients, spirituality (p = 0.018) and not religiosity (p = 0.474) related directly with medication non-adherence. Likewise, after controlling for demography and other medical co-morbidities, patients with high spirituality were 2.68 times more likely to be poorly adherent than patients who place lower emphasis on the association between spirituality and health.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that while spirituality/ religiosity was dominant among hypertensive patients, these spiritual attachments of patients with a supreme being potentially increased their trust in the expectation of divine healing instead of adhering adequately with their anti-hypertensive medications.