Religious involvement and seroprevalence of six infectious diseases in US adults.

OBJECTIVE

In the United States, religious practice is inversely associated with several chronic conditions, but no reports show whether it is inversely associated with prevalence of positive serology for infections.

METHODS

Data on a multiethnic, national sample included 11,507 persons aged 17 years and over with complete data on frequency of attendance at religious services (FARS) and serologic testing for six pathogens.

RESULTS

Even after controlling for multiple confounders, persons attending religious services weekly (19.8%) or more (19.6%) were less likely to be seropositive for herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) than those attending less frequently (23.7%) or never (25.1%, P = 0.001). Analyses revealed the association to be partially accounted for by reduced risky sexual behavior and illegal drug use among frequent attenders. No associations were found with three enteric pathogens.

CONCLUSION

Infection with HSV-2 and hepatitis C virus (HCV) was inversely associated with FARS, independent of multiple confounders.