The role of religion in health promotion from a sociological point Essay

The role of religion in health promotion from a sociological point - Essay ExampleThe World Health Organisation (WHO, 1947) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (Edlin, et al, 2000).This paper proposes to light upon the benefits and factors relating to religion in the socialization of individuals, the development of social networks, and opportunities to enhance the health of various populations within the United States.The holistic view of health acknowledges the inter-relatedness of the spiritual, physical, psychological, emotional, social, and environmental factors that reach to the overall quality of a persons life. (Edlin, et al, 2000).Socialization may be defined as the process by which an individual learns the ways of a given society or social group so that he can function within it. The socialization process occurs through social relationships, whence it is a function of social inter action (Elkin, 1960). Through the mechanisms of religion perform attendance, participation, etc, socialization takes place.A principle of theosomatic medicine, as stated by Levin (2001) is that regular ghostly fellowship benefits health by offering support that buffers the effects of stress and isolation. Thus it is observed that by developing social contacts through the church or other religious organisation, the individual is able to come out of his isolation and get socialized into the religious group. Becoming a part of a group gives them a sense of belonging and security which has positive health outcomes.From a study conducted by Berkman and Syme (1979), for people between sixty and sixty-nine historic period of age, the relative risk of dying over the next nine years was 1.8 times greater for the most isolated men than the risk for the most machine-accessible men. For women in this age group, those with the least connections had three times greater risk than those with th e most connections..Surveys and research on Americans religious practices