Regular attendance at religious functions may be related to a longer life, a new study reveals. Researchers combined the results of 29 studies that included information about the religious habits of nearly 126,000 people. They found that people who had more religious involvement had lower mortality and increased survival rates compared with those who did not.

The odds of survival for people who scored higher on measures of public and private religious involvement were 29% higher than those who scored lower on such measures.Researchers stressed that religion is just another health factor, but probably not nearly as important a factor as not smoking, although people who participate in public religious events are less likely to smoke. They also drink less and have a slightly elevated tendency to stay married -- all of which may positively affect a person's physical health.Another possible explanation is that religious people who experience stress or crisis tend to maintain a sense of meaning and hope about their lives, which may help them get through the tough situations.

Health Psychology 2000;19.