HEALTH AND MISSIONARY SERVICE AMONG SENIOR COUPLES IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

The purpose of this study is to quantify the extent that health influences participation in missionary service among seniors in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on claims and enrollment data from the Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA) database for the years 1997 through 2005. Church missionary records were linked to the DMBA database. Claims rates and costs per visit are presented for the year immediately prior to missionary service and compared with earlier years for doctor office visits and services, pharmacy claims, diabetes, mental illness (anxiety/depression), inpatient hospitalization, cancer, and heart disease. Claims rates and costs per visit are also compared between missionary and non-missionary groups. Among those who go on to serve a mission, superior health exists in the year prior to missionary service compared with earlier years. More importantly, better health status is observed in the missionary group in earlier years compared with the non-missionary control group, suggesting religious activity in the Years prior to missionary preparation positively affects health.