Benjamins Maureen R, Finlayson Marcia
Sinai Urban Health Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
J Aging Health. 2007 Jun;19(3):537-53. doi: 10.1177/0898264307300972.
The purpose of this study is to examine the use of religious services to improve health among middle-aged and older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Data from the study "Aging With MS: Unmet Needs in the Great Lakes Region" were used to investigate religious service use among 1,275 adults with MS.
The findings indicate that nearly two thirds of the sample currently use religious services to improve their health or well-being. Individuals whose MS is stable and those who have had the disease longer are significantly more likely to use religious services to improve their health.
Religious organizations should continue providing out-reach and increasing accessibility for individuals with disabling conditions. In addition, health care professionals should be aware of the importance of religious services to individuals with MS and do their part to facilitate participation for those who desire it.
本研究旨在探讨宗教活动对改善中老年多发性硬化症（MS）患者健康状况的作用。
利用“密歇根湖地区MS患者老龄化：未满足的需求”研究中的数据，调查了1275名成年MS患者的宗教活动参与情况。
研究结果表明，近三分之二的样本目前通过宗教活动来改善自身健康或幸福感。MS病情稳定的患者以及患病时间较长的患者更有可能通过宗教活动来改善健康。
宗教组织应继续为残疾人士提供外展服务并提高其可及性。此外，医疗保健专业人员应意识到宗教活动对MS患者的重要性，并尽力为有意愿参与的患者提供便利。
