VanderWeele: Religiosity and telomere length: One step forward, one step back

August 26, 2016

Hill et al. (2016) report a positive association between religiosity (a summary measure of service attendance, frequency of prayer, and religious identity) and telomere length. Their results, if repli- cated in other studies with more rigorous designs, might account for one mechanism through which religious participation affects longevity. As the authors note, research on religiosity and telomere length is still in its infancy, with prior research employing only one small convenience sample study using a religiosity measures similar to that of Hill et al.

 

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