A Meta-Analysis of Religion/Spirituality and Life Satisfaction.

LIFE satisfaction; SPIRITUALITY; DEVELOPING countries; RELIGIONS; WELL-being

Human engagement with religion and spirituality is pervasive across the world, yet the extent to which religious and/or spiritual involvement promotes well-being is controversial theoretically and empirically. In the largest meta-analysis of religion/spirituality and life satisfaction to date (k = 256, N = 666,085), an overall effect size was computed (r =.18; 95% CI.16–.19; p <.01). Five dimensions of religion/spirituality were then examined separately to gauge their relationships with life satisfaction. Each dimension of religion/spirituality was significantly and positively associated with life satisfaction: religiosity (r =.16, 95% CI.14–.17, p <.01), spirituality (r =.30, 95% CI.25–.35, p <.01), religious attendance (r =.11, 95% CI.09–.13, p <.01), religious practices (r =.14, 95% CI.10–.18, p <.01), and religious/spiritual experiences (r =.29, 95% CI.24–.33, p <.01). The overall effect was moderated by several study-related variables, with a stronger relationship found in samples with higher average age, in more recent studies, in developing nations, and in countries with a higher percentage of people who consider religion very important in their lives. The theoretical and practical implications of the meta-analysis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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