Religion and Child Health: Religious Affiliation, Importance, and Attendance and Health Status among American Youth

This study examines the relationship between religious affiliation, importance of religion, and frequency of church attendance and the reported overall health status and psychological health of children and adolescents by age group (6–11, 12–15, and 16–19 years old), using national data from the Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Controlling for child’s initial health, individual and family demographic characteristics, and socio-economic status, differences were found by age and measures of religion and health. Probit analysis revealed a generally positive and statistically significant association between religion and health, especially for the psychological health of children ages 12–15. Mitigating the issue of selection bias on observable characteristics, the Propensity Score Matching analysis generated similar positive associations between religion and child health. These findings are consistent with the corresponding literature on adults. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2013