Satisfaction of Spiritual Needs and Self-Rated Health among Churchgoers

Research indicates that greater involvement in religion may be associated with better physical health. The purpose of this study is to see if the satisfaction of spiritual needs is associated with health. This model that contains the following core hypotheses: (1) Individuals who attend church more often are more likely to receive spiritual support from fellow church members than people who attend worship services less frequently (spiritual support is informal encouragement from fellow church members to adopt and implement religious issues in daily life); (2) receiving more spiritual support is associated with stronger feelings of belonging in a congregation; (3) individuals who feel they belong in their congregations are more likely to feel their spiritual needs have been met; and (4) people who feel their spiritual needs have been met are more likely to rate their health in a favorable manner. The data provide support for each of these relationships.