Religion, spirituality and belief: Health behaviours

Behaviour associated with different religions and beliefs may theoretically affect health and wellbeing both positively and negatively. It can be difficult to distinguish behaviours associated with religion from other cultural behavioural drivers.

A Scottish Health Survey Topic Report on Equality Groups (2012) found that health behaviours varied by religious group:

• Adults reporting their religion as Muslim and Other Christian were least likely to smoke; those identifying as Roman Catholic and those reporting no religion were most likely to smoke.
• Adults who reported their religion as Muslim or Hindu consumed the highest mean daily portions of fruit and vegetables and were most likely to exceed the 5-a-day recommendation.
• Those reporting having no religion were most likely to exceed the recommended drinking guidelines; those identifying as Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist were least likely.
• The lowest prevalence of sport participation and meeting the physical activity recommendations was found among adults reporting their religion as Muslim, while the highest prevalence was among those reporting having no religion.
• Low levels of obesity were found among those reporting their religion as Buddhist or Hindu, while higher levels were found among Church of Scotland members.

More information and resources on the link between religion, spirituality, and health behaviours can be found in Religion and Belief Matter: An Information Resource for Healthcare Staff (2008) (3.2MB).