Harvard Study Concludes Attending Prayer Services Leads to Longer Life

A recent study published in the June issue of JAMA Internal Medicine indicates that women who attend religious services regularly may live longer than those who don’t. In the study, four Harvard University researchers analyzed data collected from questionnaires given to 75,534 women over 16 years, between 1996 and 2012, documenting 13 537 deaths.

The results were conclusive. Attending services more than one time per week brought a 33 percent lower risk of premature death. More prayer created a greater effect. Attending less than once a week brought a 13 percent lower risk of premature death, and communal prayer twice a week brought a 26 percent lower risk of premature death. READ MORE