From the ArcaMax Publishing, Religious News Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/religiousnews/s-373223-441739
Having religious congregations within a community affects mortality
rates, often in a positive manner, U.S. researchers said.
Troy C. Blanchard of Louisiana State University, John Bartkowski of
the University of Texas at San Antonio and colleagues at the
University of West Georgia and the University of Alabama at Birmingham
found that people live longer in areas with a large number of Catholic
and mainline Protestant churches.
"These types of churches have what's known as a 'worldly perspective.'
Instead of solely focusing on the afterlife, they place a significant
emphasis on the current needs of their communities," Bartkowski said
in a statement. "They organize outreach efforts for the needy and
homeless, invest in the health infrastructures and participate in
other forms of charity."
Bartkowski said these congregations also tend to bridge ties in
communities that lead to greater social cohesion among citizens and
this enhanced sense of connection provides collective encouragement
for healthy behavior.
"Fundamentalist and Pentecostal congregations are associated with
higher rates of mortality, but communities with a large number of
Evangelical congregations have better health outcomes," Blanchard
said. "Evangelical congregations do a better job of engaging the
broader community and promoting social connectedness -- so essential
for longer life expectancies."
The findings are published in the journal Social Forces.