A Randomized Trial of the Effects of Remote Intercessory Prayer: Interactions with Personal Beliefs on Problem-Specific Outcomes and Functional Status

Spiritual Interventions Used by Jewish Women to Facilitate the Family Continuum: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Spiritual interventions (SI) are used by patients and their families as a means to promote health. The family continuum (FC), which includes finding a partner/spouse, getting married, becoming pregnant, and having a safe pregnancy/birth, is an important concept for the Jewish culture as well as other cultures that have a traditional family-centered approach. There is a dearth of professional literature pertaining to SI to promote the FC. Although patients may use SI, this information is not routinely collected in a health history. The purpose of the study was to describe the experience of Jewish women's use of SI to promote the FC. Methods: This ethnographic study included interviews of Jewish women pertaining to FC, a text review, and field study. Coding of the text, site visits, and interviews were performed and reviewed to identify categories and themes and were refined until saturation was achieved. Results: Fifty-three observant and non-observant Jewish women participated in the study. Women expressed that SI were the means for them playing an active role in fulfilling the FC, and included intermediaries to God, self-improvement, and folk/spiritual remedies. The examples of SI included: visits to holy sites and spiritual leaders for blessings and advice, prayers, psalms, doing good deeds, eating special foods, wearing amulets, and performing certain SI with predesignated repetitions. Women attributed these SI to attaining an FC. Women who achieved each FC milestone without difficulty tended to use less SI, whereas women's SI usage increased the longer a milestone was not achieved. Conclusions: Jewish women are using many SI to promote the FC. Health care should be delivered in a culturally competent manner, which includes the incorporation of safe cultural practices. Obtaining a cultural assessment as part of the medical history could assist the health care professional in integrating safe SI into patient care.

Intercessory Prayer on Spiritual Distress, Spiritual Coping, Anxiety, Depression and Salivary Amylase in Breast Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy: Randomized Clinical Trial

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of intercessory prayer in the psychological, spiritual and biological scores of breast cancer patients who are undergoing radiotherapy. Double-blind RCT comprising a sample of 31 participants (15 in the Control Group and 16 in the Intervention Group). Data collection was performed in three time points (T₀, T₁ and T₂). Significant changes have been identified in the intra-group analysis, concerning the decrease in spiritual distress score; negative religious/spiritual coping prevailed, while the total religious/spiritual coping increased between the posttest T₂ to T₀. Intercessory prayer was effective in religious and spiritual scores.

Therapeutic Effects of Islamic Intercessory Prayer on Warts

The present study aimed to examine the therapeutic effects of Islamic intercessory prayer on warts. Forty-five participants who are mostly Muslims and infected with warts were randomized into three groups: Group-1 (uncertain, with intercessory prayer), Group-2 (uncertain, no intercessory prayer), and control group (informed, no intervention). Stress symptoms were also measured before and after prayer sessions for these three groups. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of healing. Although participants believed in the therapeutic effects of prayer, when participants did not trust the intercessor, prayer had no effect on warts.

Prayer for Health Among U.S. Adults: The 2002 National Health Interview Survey

Data for the United States is limited on prayer for health, including associations with other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities. The 2002 National Health Interview Survey and Alternative Health Supplement data were examined for associations between prayer for health and demographic, health, and CAM use characteristics. Forty-five percent of adults reported some form of prayer for health. Use of prayer for health was associated with increasing age, ethnic minority status, lower socioeconomic status, southern/midwestern U.S. region, poorer health, and use of most forms of CAM. These data provide information about prayer for health in the United States. Further research could examine associations between prayer for health and healthrelated decisions, behaviors, and outcomes.

The Ethics of Ironic Science in Its Search for Spoof

The goal of most scientific research published in peer-review journals is to discover and report the truth. However, the research record includes tongue-in-cheek papers written in the conventional form and style of a research paper. Although these papers were intended to be taken ironically, bibliographic database searches show that many have been subsequently cited as valid research, some in prestigious journals. We attempt to understand why so many readers cited such ironic science seriously. We draw from the literature on error propagation in research publication for ways categorize citations. We adopt the concept of irony from the fields of literary and rhetorical criticism to detect, characterize, and analyze the interpretations in the more than 60 published research papers that cite an instance of ironic science. We find a variety of interpretations: some citing authors interpret the research as valid and accept it, some contradict or reject it, and some acknowledge its ironic nature. We conclude that publishing ironic science in a research journal can lead to the same troubles posed by retracted research, and we recommend relevant changes to publication guidelines.

Spirituality of chronic orofacial pain patients: case-control study

The objective of this study was to investigate spirituality and blood parameters associated with stress in patients with facial musculoskeletal pain. Twenty-four women with chronic facial musculoskeletal pain (CFMP) and 24 healthy women were evaluated with a protocol for orofacial characteristics, research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders and the Spiritual Perspective Scale. Blood samples were collected to analyze blood count, cortisol, ACTH, C3, C4, thyroid hormones, total immunoglobulin, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor. The study group was more spiritualized than control group. Individuals with a high score of spirituality had less myofascial pain, less bruxism and fewer complaints. They also had lower levels of ACTH and IgE. Spirituality was higher in the study group and can be considered an important tool for coping with CFMP.

Use of the Serenity Prayer among adults with type 2 diabetes: a pilot study

The incidence of type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly with significant associated morbidity and mortality. Treatment efforts are focused on control of serum blood glucose levels. It was anticipated that the use of the Serenity Prayer would assist those who need to gain control over their physiological symptoms. A pilot study of the effect of daily recitation of the Serenity Prayer for 6 weeks on serum blood glucoses in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes was implemented. Thirty-six participants were enrolled in the study; there was a very high attrition rate over the course of the study. Serum blood glucose levels over the duration of the study were analyzed. At 4 to 6 weeks, time 2, there were 2 participants who had lower serum blood glucose levels, 2 had increased serum blood glucose levels, and 4 had no change. Challenges in completing this research and specific recommendations for future research are addressed.

Influence of prayer and prayer habits on outcome in patients with severe head injury

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of prayers on the recovery of the unconscious patients admitted after traumatic brain injury.

MATERIAL AND RESULTS

A retrospective study of patients with severe head injury was conducted. The Glasgow Coma Scale and Glasgow Outcome Scale scores were examined along with age, gender, smoking, and alcohol intake. There were 13 patients who received prayer and 13 who did not receive prayer during the hospital stay with almost identical mean Glasgow Coma Scale score. The prayer group stayed in the hospital for more days (P = .03). On multivariate analysis, patients' age (P = .01), admission Glasgow Coma Scale score (P = .009), and prayer habits (P = .007) were significant factors.

CONCLUSION

Patients with prayers habits recovered better following severe head injury. The role of intercessory prayer needs further studies in larger groups.

Primer on integrative oncology

At the present time, there is no obvious answer for many of these design difficulties. This problem will continue to constrain ability to determine the efficacy of integrative medical techniques for patients who have cancer. Patients, however, will continue to gravitate toward alternative treatments, especially when standard cancer treatments fail. Therefore oncologists must be aware of alternative medical agents and techniques, and be able to guide their patients, rather than simply being dismissive.

Are there demonstrable effects of distant intercessory prayer? A meta-analytic review

BACKGROUND

The use of alternative treatments for illness is common in the United States. Practitioners of these interventions find them compatible with personal philosophies. Consequently, distant intercessory prayer (IP) for healing is one of the most commonly practiced alternative interventions and has recently become the topic of scientific scrutiny.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to provide a current meta-analytic review of the effects of IP and to assess the impact of potential moderator variables.

METHODS

A random effects model was adopted. Outcomes across dependent measures within each study were pooled to arrive at one omnibus effect size. These were combined to generate the overall effect size. A test of homogeneity and examination of several potential moderator variables was conducted.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis yielding an overall effect size of g = .100 that did not differ from zero. When one controversial study was removed, the effect size reduced to g = .012. No moderator variables significantly influenced results.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no scientifically discernable effect for IP as assessed in controlled studies. Given that the IP literature lacks a theoretical or theological base and has failed to produce significant findings in controlled trials, we recommend that further resources not be allocated to this line of research.

Gender differences in use of prayer as a self-care strategy for managing symptoms in African Americans living with HIV/AIDS

The objective of this study was to explore the association of gender to use of prayer as a self-care strategy for managing the HIV-related symptoms of fatigue, nausea, depression, and anxiety among African American men and women who are HIV-seropositive. To accomplish this, data were determined using convenience sampling from a sample of 448 African American men and women from the United States who were participants in a national study on self-care symptom management of HIV/AIDS. Chi-square analyses were used to examine the potential relationships between gender and the use of prayer for managing the four symptoms. The mean age of the sample was 42.69 +/- 7.93 years (range, 20-66). Results showed the following gender differences in the use of prayer as a self-care strategy: fatigue-men 46% (n = 62), women 54% (n = 74); nausea-men 52% (n = 33), women 48% (n = 30); depression-men 55% (n = 90), women 45% (n = 73); and anxiety-men 77% (n = 83), women 87% (n = 73). Chi-square analyses determined that significant differences exist between African American men and women in the frequency of the use of prayer for managing HIV-related fatigue (chi(2) = 14.81, 1 df, p = .000), nausea (chi(2) = 4.10, 1 df, p =.043), and depression (chi(2) = 5.21, 1 df, p = .022). There was no gender difference in the use of prayer to manage anxiety. Prayer was reported as a self-care strategy by over 50% of the respondents for three of the four symptoms and was rated highly efficacious. The authors conclude that the African American men and women differed in their selection of prayer as a self-care strategy for managing HIV-related depression, fatigue, and nausea. A higher proportion of women than men used prayer to manage fatigue, and more men than women reported using prayer to manage nausea and depression.

Prayer as a complementary health strategy for managing HIV-related symptoms among ethnically diverse patients

Data were analyzed from an ethnically diverse convenience sample comprising 1071 adults participating in a multisite study. Older African Americans, Hispanics, and females were more likely to use prayer as a complementary health strategy for HIV-related anxiety, depression, fatigue, and nausea. Implications for future studies are discussed.

Quackery

Everyone condemns medical quackery. Government regulators seek to protect us from it. Alternative providers strive to distance themselves from it. Orthodox medicine wants to stamp it out.

The question is: What constitutes “quackery”? How do we distinguish quacks from mainstream practitioners? Even more problematic, how do we distinguish between quackery, which everyone agrees is beyond the pale and therefore should be fair game for sanction, and practices that, while unorthodox, should be tolerated in the interests of promoting medical progress and patient choice? These are particularly challenging questions now, when a number of factors are combining to undermine the hegemony of mainstream medicine, when some of the same forces that spurred the growth of quackery in the 19th century are remerging, and when neo-conservatives are clamoring for greater freedom of choice for health care consumers.

This article begins with a brief history of quackery in America and the factors that encourage its growth. The article then attempts to distinguish between quackery and acceptable medical practice.

Compromised ethical principles in randomised clinical trials of distant, intercessory prayer

The effects of distant, intercessory prayer on health outcomes have been studied in a range of randomised, blinded clinical trials. However, while seeking the evidentiary status accorded this 'gold standard' methodology, many prayer studies fall short of the requirements of the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki for the ethical conduct of trials involving human subjects. Within a sample of 15 such studies published in the medical literature, many were found to have ignored or waived key ethical precepts, including adequate standards of care, patient confidentiality and informed consent. Prayer was considered in most studies to pose negligible or no risk to subjects, despite the fact that no clear mechanism of action nor any safety monitoring procedures were described. As a result, many studies did not meet basic ethical standards required of clinical trials of biophysical interventions, making application of their results ethically problematic. If investigators wish their data to adequately inform the use or rejection of intercessory prayer to improve health, these shortcomings should be addressed in future studies.