THE IMPACT OF

RELIGION ON HEALTH

Comparison:
Serbia vs Italy
 DOES RELIGION IMPACT HEALTH?

Answer: YES!
Almost all studies involved in the effect of religion on a person’s physical health
have revealed it has a positive contribution to their lifestyle (Seybold & Hill, 2001)

Four main pathways:

• Promoting a healthy lifestyle (discouraging alcohol, smoking, etc)
• Social support
• Psychological support and better mental health
• An important resource in coping with stress
 WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

• Most documented benefit of religion and religious practice is the decrease of

blood pressure (Patel et al., 1985; Sudsuang, Chentanez & Veluvan, 1991;
Schneider et al., 1995; Schmidt, Wijga, Von Zur Muhlen, Brabant & Wagner,
1997)
• Religion may reduce likelihood of certain diseases. Studies suggest that it
guards against cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure, and also
improves immune system functioning. (Seeman, T., Dubin, L. F., & Seeman, M.
(2003)
• Young adults who were involved in regular religious practice, prayer or
meditation showed lower levels of cortisol, aldosterone and norepinephrine
(Walton, Pugh, Gelderloss and Macrae ,1995 )
 LIFE EXPECTANCY AND RELIGION?

• Church attendance has been found to increase life expectancy with a life
expectancy at age 20 of 83 years for frequent attendees and 75 years for non-
attendees (Hummer et al, 1999)

• Religion and the immune system:

Women with metastatic breast cancer who rated religion as highly
important in their lives had a greater number of circulating white blood cells,
helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells (Sephton, Koopman, Schaal, Thorensen &
Spiegel, 2001)
COMPARISON OF CHILDREN WHO GREW UP
IN A RELIGIOUS HOUSEHOLD
 FASTING AND LIPOPROTEINS

• A study analyzed the impact of Greek and Serbian Orthodox Christian fasting on
lipoproteins (Sarri et al., 2003)
• A sample of Greek adults who fasted regularly (40 days before Christman, 48
days before Easter and 15 days before the Assumption) were followed for one
year and compared to a similar sample that did not fast.
• Results showed that total and LDL cholesterol were significantly lower in
people who fasted as compared to those who did not fast
 ARE THERE ANY DRAWBACKS?

• those who attend church or belong to similar religious organizations may well be
receiving only the effects of the social connections involved. While these
benefits are real enough, they may thus be the same one would gain by joining
other groups, clubs, or similar organizations
• Religious medical neglect – the belief that medical interventions are not
helpful
• Feeling of exclusion, guilt and isolation may increase stress
• Religion has a heavy impact on a population’s attitude towards contraception,
sex education, abortion, vaccination and may limit the access to these services
HOW RELIGION IS CONNECTED TO HEALTH
CARE

1. Religion may be a dynamic factor in the patient's understanding of the

disease
2. Religious convictions may affect health care decision making -
Jehovah's Witness patients rejecting blood transfusions is a classic
example
3. Spirituality and religion may be a patient need and may be important in
patient coping
RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE IN ITALY

Christianity No religion Islam Buddhism

RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE IN SERBIA

Orthodox Christianity Catholicism Islam No religion

 WHAT DO ITALY AND SERBIA HAVE IN
COMMON?

Both are one of the few countries in Europe where sex education is not
compulsory and to date there has been no such law on the matter
Sex education is still not part of any teaching and education ministerial program

Why?
Perceived conservative values
Impact of religion and culture
Controversial reactions by parents and citizens
 SEX EDUCATION ACROSS EUROPE

A study of Europe’s sex-education programmes by Planned Parenthood, carried

out with funding from the Commission:
showed an inverse correlation between a region’s level of religious adherence
and the comprehensiveness of its sex education.

Belgium and the Netherlands have extensive programmes

Whereas in the more religious Italy and Poland there is no national requirement to
teach sex education and few schools do so
 POSITIVE IMPACTS OF SEX EDUCATION

• Delaying sex until they are older

• Using condoms and contraception when they do have sex
• Reducing the frequency of sex
• Reducing the number of sexual partners
 SEX EDUCATION IN ITALY

• Sex education is not compulsory

• In the absence of any ministerial guidance, each school is free to autonomously
define educational contents and objects.
• In many cases parents have obstructed attempts to distribute booklets on sex
and gender issues in schools
• A sample of 106 high schools randomly selected across Italy:
Out of 106 schools, 57 do not plan or even mention any kind of sexual
education
 A SURVEY OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN
ITALIAN ADOLESCENTS

• For the study, 1492 high school students were interviewed in Genoa (Northern
Italy) and 1375 in Lecce (Southern Italy), in 2016.

• 95% believed that school should play the primary role in sex education.
However, only 9% considered the sex education they received in school good.
RESULTS FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Question Correct Answers (%) Wrong Answers (%)

Which of the
following diseases
are sexually
transmitted? 95% of the students
HIV, syphilis, All these infections, did not recognize
hepatitis A, except for hepatitis A these diseases as
hepatitis B, (0.5%) sexually
hepatitis C, herpes transmitted
simplex infection,
candida and genital
warts
 Question Correct Answers (%) Wrong Answers (%)
“Only with
“Having sexual
prostitutes“, “only
intercourse with any
How can you acquire a with homosexual
partner “or“ even
STI? relations“, “only with
through a single sexual
repeated intercourse“
intercourse” (15%)
“(85%)

Do you know what a

Yes (46%) No (54%)
PAP test is?
 SEX EDUCATION IN SERBIA

• There is also strong opposition to sexual education in Serbia.

• There is presently no specific national law or policy concerning sex education in
Serbia.
• Six teaching hours are usually devoted to sexual education and biology.
• Province of Vojvodina initiated the Health and Education for Reproductive
Health between 2012 – 2015. In 2015 the authorities decided not to continue
funding the program
 Number of sexual partners

Netherlands 7
Serbia 10,1
Italy 11,2
sexual partners Norway 12,1
Finland 12,4
Turkey 14,3
Global 9

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Netherlands Serbia Italy Norway Finland Turkey Global

WHAT ABOUT VACCINATIONS?
RELIGION AND VACCINATION
CONCLUSION?