Religion as a Social Determinant of Public HealthEllen L. Idler Frequently in partnership, but sometimes at odds, religious institutions and public health institutions work to improve the well-being of their communities. There is an increasing awareness among public health professionals and the general public that the social conditions of poverty, lack of education, income inequality, poor working conditions, or experiences of discrimination play a dominant role in determining health status. But this broad view of the social determinants of health has, until now, largely ignored the role of religious practices and institutions in shaping the life conditions of billions around the globe. In Religion as a Social Determinant of Public Health, leading scholars in the social sciences, public health, and religion address this omission by examining the embodied sacred practices of the world's religions, the history of alignment and tension between religious and public health institutions, the research on the health impact of religious practice throughout the life course, and the role of religious institutions in health and development efforts around the globe. In addition, the volume explores religion's role in the ongoing epidemics of HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's disease, as well as preparations for an influenza pandemic. Together, these essays help complete the picture of the social determinants of health by including religion, which has until now been an invisible determinant.Some health-determining influence flows through people's participation in religious practices and affiliation with mosques, synagogues, and churches. Some of it flows through lifestyle factors associated with religious observance. Some comes from relationships between religious institutions and institutions of public health and medical care. Some comes from the role religious institutions play in their communities, and in providing help for those in need and leveraging social capital.A groundbreaking work, Religion as a Social Determinant of Public Health explores the complex, multifaceted role of faith traditions and public health in throughout history, today, in in the future. |
Contents
The Invisible Social Determinant | 1 |
Part I Public Health in the Practices of the Worlds Faith Traditions | 25 |
Part II Religion in the History of Public Health | 109 |
Part III Religion and Public Health across the Life Course | 175 |
Part IV Religion and Public Health across the Globe | 269 |
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abortion adolescents adults African African American Alzheimer's ARHAP associated behaviors birth caregivers Catholic chapter Christian circumcision clinical Comstock laws congregations context contraception culture death determinants of health disease effect Emory University epidemic ethical faith faith-based FBOs gious global health Griscom hatsumōde healing church healthcare Heifer International HIV/AIDS human impact important individuals inequality influence International interventions Jewish John Wesley L'Arche La Leche League living mental health mission mortality Muslim pandemic participants PEPFAR person perspective physical poor population prevention Primitive Physick programs public health rates relationship reli Religion and Health religion and public religious attendance religious groups Religious Health Assets religious institutions religious involvement religious practices religious traditions reproductive health response Review risk ritual role Safe and Natural secular sexual Shinto social capital social determinants society spiritual studies Taiji theological tion Tübingen United well-being Wesley's women World Health Organization York