Living in a warm and supportive religious community can add years to your life, according to scientific research studies conducted all around the world. It makes sense that people who have more to look forward to enjoy life more, but can a religious lifestyle, positive attitudes or social interactions really make a measurable difference to your health? We conducted a survey of the scientific data in order to shed light on this interesting question.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development (also known as the Harvard Grant Study) was carried out over 80+ years. It reported that people with strong social connections at age 50 were more likely to live to age 90+ than those who were more isolated. They also showed that quality relationships were better predictors of long and happy lives than wealth, IQ, or genes.
Another longitudinal study carried out in England (ELSA) showed that seniors with active social lives had a 12% lower risk of depression. Those who maintained regular contact with friends were 26% less likely to develop dementia. The parallel Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ALSA) showed that seniors with large friend networks outlived those with fewer friends by 22% on average.
Perhaps it is obvious that people who live alone are less likely to look after their health. Research carried out by the National Institute on Aging showed that socially isolated seniors have a 50% higher risk of developing dementia, a 29% increased risk of heart disease, and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
It seems that actively helping other people can also increase longevity. Studies by researchers at the University of Michigan reported that seniors who help friends and family members experience reduced mortality rates, and those who were in the habit of providing emotional support to others typically had lower blood pressure.
As a religious senior residence, we were also interested to know if there was any health benefit deriving from religious observance? Two studies conducted among women suggest that there is. The Women’s Health Initiative followed 75,000 women over multiple years, and showed that regular religious service attendance was associated with a 33% lower mortality risk compared to those who never attended. Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health confirmed that women who attended religious services more than once each week had a 33% lower risk of death compared to those who never attended.
There may be other benefits to attending religious services, including social connections, a sense of community, and other lifestyle factors, so at Beit Tovei Ha’ir we encourage women AND men to feel comfortable in shul, to interact with one another, and to enjoy all aspects of community life.
Of course, the information that guides us in how we live our lives come not only from scientific studies but also from the wisdom of the Torah. In Mishlei (Proverbs 10:27) it says: “The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened, and in Devarim (Deuteronomy 30:20) Moshe said: “By loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days.”
