Ross Louie E, Hall Ingrid J, Fairley Temeika L, Taylor Yhenneko J, Howard Daniel L
Institute for Health, Social and Community Research, Shaw University, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA.
J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Oct;14(8):931-8. doi: 10.1089/acm.2007.0788.
At least 10.8 million living Americans have been diagnosed with cancer, and about 1.5 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2008. The purpose of this study was to examine prayer for health and self-reported health among a sample of men and women with a personal history of cancer.
We used data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, which collected information on complementary and alternative medicine practices.
Among 2262 men and women with a history of cancer, 68.5% reported having prayed for their own health and 72% reported good or better health status. Among cancer survivors, praying for one's own health was associated with several sociodemographic variables including being female, non-Hispanic black, and married. Compared to persons with a history of skin cancer, persons with a history of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, a cancer with a short survival period (e.g., pancreatic cancer), or other cancers were more likely to pray for their health. Persons who reported good or better health were more likely to be female, younger, have higher levels of education and income, and have no history of additional chronic disease. Overall, praying for one's own health was inversely associated with good or better health status.
Data from this nationally representative sample indicate that prayer for health is commonly used among people with a history of cancer and that use of prayer varies by cancer site. The findings should add to the current body of literature that debates issues around spirituality, decision-making about treatment, and physician care.
至少1080万美国在世人口已被诊断患有癌症，预计2008年将有大约150万新增癌症病例被诊断出来。本研究的目的是在有癌症个人病史的男性和女性样本中，考察为健康祈祷与自我报告的健康状况之间的关系。
我们使用了2002年国家健康访谈调查的数据，该调查收集了有关补充和替代医学实践的信息。
在2262名有癌症病史的男性和女性中，68.5%报告曾为自己的健康祈祷，72%报告健康状况良好或更佳。在癌症幸存者中，为自己的健康祈祷与几个社会人口统计学变量相关，包括女性、非西班牙裔黑人以及已婚。与有皮肤癌病史的人相比，有乳腺癌、结直肠癌、生存期短的癌症（如胰腺癌）或其他癌症病史的人更有可能为自己的健康祈祷。报告健康状况良好或更佳的人更有可能是女性、更年轻、受教育程度和收入水平更高，且没有其他慢性病病史。总体而言，为自己的健康祈祷与健康状况良好或更佳呈负相关。
来自这个具有全国代表性样本的数据表明，为健康祈祷在有癌症病史的人群中普遍存在，且祈祷的使用因癌症部位而异。这些发现应会补充到当前围绕灵性、治疗决策和医生护理等问题展开辩论的文献中。
