Story perspectives

Study Links Childhood Religion to Poorer Adult Health

10/26/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A study in Social Science & Medicine finds that childhood religious education among Europeans over 50 is linked to slightly poorer self-rated health, notably mental and cognitive domains.
The analysis used data from 10,346 adults across ten European countries and employed a causal forest model.
Limitations include reliance on retrospective self-reports and the inability to establish causation, with substantial variation in outcomes among individuals.

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Story summary

A study in Social Science & Medicine finds that childhood religious education among Europeans over 50 is linked to slightly poorer self-rated health, notably mental and cognitive domains.
The analysis used data from 10,346 adults across ten European countries and employed a causal forest model.
Limitations include reliance on retrospective self-reports and the inability to establish causation, with substantial variation in outcomes among individuals.