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Typologies of Religiousness/Spirituality: Implications for Health and Well-Being

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop empirically based typologies of religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and to determine whether the typologies were related to health and well-being. The study used a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 1,431). Using latent profile analysis, typologies were derived based on religious service attendance, prayer, positive religious coping, and daily spiritual experiences. Multivariate statistical tests were used to examine cluster differences in health and well-being. A four-class model was identified: highly religious, moderately religious, somewhat religious, and minimally religious or non-religious. The four classes were distinctively different in psychological well-being, in that the highly religious class was most likely to be happy and satisfied with finances and least likely to be psychologically distressed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, MGY 132, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Nan Sook Park

  2. Department of Mental Health Law & Policy and Department of Economics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Beom S. Lee

  3. School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Fei Sun

  4. Departments of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    David L. Klemmack

  5. School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Lucinda L. Roff

  6. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Harold G. Koenig

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  1. Nan Sook Park
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  2. Beom S. Lee
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  3. Fei Sun
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  4. David L. Klemmack
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  5. Lucinda L. Roff
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  6. Harold G. Koenig
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Correspondence to Nan Sook Park.

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Park, N.S., Lee, B.S., Sun, F. et al. Typologies of Religiousness/Spirituality: Implications for Health and Well-Being. J Relig Health 52, 828–839 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9520-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9520-6

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