性別差異在宗教信仰與健康生活品質關聯性之研究

Gender differences in the relationship between religion and Health-Related Quality of Life

目標：探討宗教與健康關聯性在性別間之差異，利用健康生活品質量表將健康生活品質分成生理、心理及一般健康等三方面，以比較不同健康層面在性別間之影響是否有所不同。方法：利用國家衛生研究院與國民健康署於2009年國民健康訪問調查（National Health Interview Survey, NHIS）之全國性抽樣資料，研究對象數計有15,978人，男、女性分別為7,553人、8,425人。控制個人年齡、教育程度、婚姻狀況、所得、慢性疾病、籍貫及居住地區等變數，以釐清信仰與健康關聯性在性別間是否存在差異。結果：不論是有無宗教信仰或宗教活動參與度和健康生活品質之關聯性，在性別間有顯著不同之迴歸結果。有宗教信仰及宗教活動參與度愈高男性，其一般健康較佳。有信仰女性的生理、心理及一般健康狀況均較無宗教信仰者差；隨宗教活動參與度的增加，其生理及心理層面的健康狀況易顯著較差。結論：男性之迴歸結果和既有文獻大致相符，女性則顯然不同，推測女性通常在遭遇困境時才尋求宗教協助，抑或女性宗教者的心理、生理及一般健康原本就比較差，藉由宗教以尋求慰藉及解脫，因此原本健康較差女性反而更積極投入參與宗教信仰活動。

Objectives: The aim of this investigation was to explore whether the relationship between religion and health-related quality of life was different according to gender. Methods: This study utilized the 2009 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) obtained from the National Health Research Institutes and Bureau of Health Promotion. A total of 15,978 individuals (7,553 males and 8,425 females) were selected from the 2009 NHIS database. We divided health-related quality of life into three dimensions, including physical, psychological and general health, to analyze their associations with religion. After controlling for age, education, marital status, income, chronic diseases, race and geographic location, we examined the effects of religion on these three dimensions by gender. Results: Males with religious beliefs and more religious activities had better general health than those without. Females with religious beliefs had worse physical, mental, and general health than those without, and those with more religious activities had worse physical and mental conditions than those without. Conclusions: For males, the empirical findings were in complete accord with the literature. For females, however, the regression results were quite different from those of previous studies. One possible reason is that, because of poor original health status, females look for comfort and relief through religion. As a result, females with poor health are more religious or more likely to participate in religious activities.