Journal of Religion & Health最新文献

{"title":"A Foundation for Today's Healthcare Chaplaincy in Western Societies: The Liminality Model.","authors":"Carmen Schuhmann, Shelley E Varner-Perez, Simon Lasair, Kate L Bradford, Simon Peng-Keller, Daniel Nuzum, Jacqueline Tuffnell","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02797-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02797-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Given changes in the religious landscape and in health care in contemporary Western societies, healthcare chaplains are in need of a new shared and communicable understanding of their specific position and role in healthcare institutions. Developing such an understanding not only calls for more empirical studies into healthcare chaplaincy, but also for theoretical models which help interpret and integrate empirical findings. This paper describes the 'liminality model' of contemporary healthcare chaplaincy, which was developed on the basis of structured discussions of an international expert panel. This conceptual model characterizes healthcare chaplaincy as a practice of 'engaging with liminality'. 'Liminality' here refers both to individuals' liminal experiences in relation to health transitions and to liminal moments, spaces, and positions in healthcare organizations. At the experiential level, engaging with liminality involves offering compassionate presence, and addressing existential concerns of patients, family members, and staff. At the organizational level, engaging with liminality involves educating healthcare professionals about spirituality and spiritual care, supporting medical decision-making, and advocating for marginalized voices. The model thus explains how the different roles that chaplains fulfill in health care can be understood as different facets of engaging with liminality.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149229044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of the 25-Hour Religious Fast of \"Yom Kippur\" on Pregnancy Outcomes in Low-Risk Singleton Pregnancies in Israel: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.","authors":"Shai Waysbort, Maayan Bas Lando, Ari Zivotofsky, Avital Blum, Judah L Goldberg, Michael S Schimmel, Misgav Rottenstreich, Hen Y Sela","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02810-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02810-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Evidence regarding the impact of prolonged religious fasting during pregnancy is limited and inconsistent. We aimed to examine the effects of Yom Kippur fasting, a complete 25-h religious fast, on pregnancy outcomes, with a primary focus on preterm delivery, in low-risk singleton pregnancies in Jerusalem, Israel. We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of Jewish women aged 18-45 years with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies delivered in our maternity wards between 2006 and 2021. Data were extracted from electronic medical records. A preliminary survey estimated the prevalence of fasting during Yom Kippur at 92% (80% complete, 12% partial). Deliveries occurring on Yom Kippur and up to two days afterward were compared with deliveries on the corresponding days one week prior. The primary outcome was preterm delivery (< 37 weeks). Secondary outcomes included preterm birth <34, <32, and <28 weeks, other maternal and neonatal outcomes, and biochemical markers of maternal dehydration including urine ketones, blood urea nitrogen, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. During the study period, 5832 deliveries occurred across study and control days. After exclusions, 3943 deliveries (67.6%) were analyzed: 697 occurred on Yom Kippur, 1485 within one day and 2080 within two days following, and 1863 occurred on the three corresponding days the week before. Preterm delivery rates were comparable across groups (< 37 weeks: 2.2%, 1.9%, 2.2%, and 2.2% in groups 1, 2, 3, and control, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed no significant differences in gestational age at delivery or preterm birth rates at various thresholds. Study group women exhibited higher hematocrit and urine ketone levels, without clinically significant adverse maternal and neonatal effects. Labor duration was shorter in fasting women, who also presented with greater cervical dilation, underwent fewer vaginal examinations, had lower epidural use, and reduced chorioamnionitis rates. However, the rate of shoulder dystocia was higher among fasting women. The 25-h Yom Kippur religious fast does not appear to increase the risk of preterm delivery or other adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in low-risk singleton pregnancies. The observed association with shorter labor may reflect dehydration-related changes in maternal physiology. Further studies are warranted to assess the impact of prolonged fasting in high-risk pregnancies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149225070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultural Adaptation, Validity, and Reliability of the Moral Distress Scale for Prehospital Emergency Health Services Employees: The Case of Türkiye.","authors":"Nurdan Kırımlıoğlu, Nilüfer Demirsoy, Ramazan Güneşer","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02806-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02806-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prehospital emergency healthcare professionals, who frequently face situations requiring rapid decision-making, interventions with limited resources, and ethical dilemmas related to patient care, are at high risk of experiencing moral distress. This study aimed to conduct the Turkish cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability testing of the Moral Distress Scale in order to evaluate the moral distress experienced by prehospital emergency healthcare workers. Within the scope of the study, the 20-item, five-factor Moral Distress Scale was translated and culturally adapted into Turkish. The construct validity of the scale was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Data were collected from 215 prehospital emergency healthcare professionals. Factor loadings ranged from 0.442 to 0.801, and item-total correlations were above 0.30. In the exploratory factor analysis, items 4 and 5 from the \"Providing Care\" subdimension were loaded onto the \"Conflict\" subdimension, while item 6 was loaded onto the \"Communication\" subdimension. The confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed the five-factor, the 20-item structure of the scale, and the model fit indices were found to be acceptable (χ²/df = 2.27, p ≤ 0.001; RMSEA = 0.07; GFI = 0.86; CFI = 0.89; IFI = 0.89; PNFI = 0.70; SRMR = 0.06). The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.90). Our results indicate that the Turkish version of the Moral Distress Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing moral distress experienced by prehospital emergency healthcare professionals in their work settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149185440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Religious Affiliation, Active Participation, and Social Connectedness in Mainland China: A Trend Analysis of Older Adults, 2012-2023.","authors":"Guixiang Yao, Xu Jia, Mengjun Zhang, Yanqiu Xing","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02808-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02808-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Social isolation is a growing public health concern among older adults in rapidly aging China. Drawing on social capital theory and the congregational-network account of religion and well-being, we distinguish affiliation (identity) from active participation (practice), two dimensions of religious involvement rarely examined together outside Christian-majority Western contexts. Mainland China, where religion is diffused, largely non-congregational, and in a minority position, widens the gap between them and so offers a stringent test. We expected the two dimensions to be associated with social contact in opposite directions, affiliation with less frequent contact and at-least-monthly participation with more frequent contact, and expected both associations to be stronger among rural than urban older adults. Seven waves of the Chinese General Social Survey, 2012-2023, were analyzed (N = 24,358 adults aged ≥ 60). Primary outcomes were contact frequency with neighbors and friends; depressive symptoms and generalized social trust were exploratory secondary outcomes. Both dimensions were modeled simultaneously by ordinary least squares with sociodemographic covariates and correction for multiplicity. As expected, the two dimensions were associated with contact in opposite directions: affiliation with less frequent contact with neighbors and friends, and active participation with more frequent contact. All four associations survived correction; their directions were preserved and they remained statistically significant after adjustment for provincial fixed effects. Neither dimension was associated with the secondary outcomes, as a congregational-network mechanism would predict. The expected rural-urban difference was not formally supported: associations were significant among rural but not urban older adults, yet the religion-by-hukou interaction tests were uniformly non-significant. The two dimensions of religious involvement therefore show divergent associations with social connectedness among Chinese older adults, extending the attendance-centered pattern to a non-Christian, state-regulated context. They are not interchangeable indicators of religious social capital, and composite measures combining them risk canceling associations that run in opposite directions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149185506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Polish Validation of the Views of Suffering Scale: Factorial Structure, Psychometric Properties and Clinical Applications.","authors":"Radosław Rybarski, Kamil Tomaka, Joshua A Wilt","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02807-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02807-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Religious beliefs about the causes and meaning of human suffering remain understudied despite their potential relevance to psychological and spiritual functioning. To address this gap, we adapted the Views of Suffering Scale (VOSS) for use with Polish samples. Across three studies, we examined the psychometric properties and clinical correlates of the Polish VOSS. Study 1 (N = 565) tested the internal structure using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); Study 2 (N = 219) examined convergent and discriminant validity; and Study 3 (N = 346) explored associations with indicators of psychological well-being and distress. Results supported a multidimensional ten-factor structure consistent with the original scale, with acceptable reliability and satisfactory construct validity. Benevolent views of suffering were positively associated with religious commitment, perceived divine engagement, and life satisfaction. In contrast, non-benevolent views were associated with lower religious commitment and higher levels of stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and religious/spiritual struggles. Overall, the findings suggest that the Polish VOSS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing diverse beliefs about suffering and their associations with religious, psychological, and spiritual functioning.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial Empathy and Spiritual Care: Limits of AI-Mediated Compassion in Chaplaincy.","authors":"Piotr Roszak, Leandro Gaitán","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02811-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02811-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article examines whether artificial intelligence can genuinely participate in practices of care within healthcare settings and what implications this development has for healthcare chaplaincy. Drawing on recent research on artificial empathy, the paper argues that AI can support caregiving practices instrumentally but cannot replace the interpersonal and relational dimensions constitutive of authentic care. The analysis introduces the concept of cognitive safety as a framework for evaluating AI-mediated interactions in contexts of vulnerability. Particular attention is given to empathy, responsibility, practical wisdom, and relational presence as dimensions that remain irreducibly human. The article concludes that chaplaincy should adopt a model of balanced integration in which AI serves as a supportive tool while preserving the centrality of human encounter, spiritual accompaniment, and moral agency.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149149068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship Between Religious Attitudes of Pregnant Women and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Levels in Turkey.","authors":"Sabriye Uçan Yamaç, Melike Yalçın Gürsoy","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02809-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02809-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the religious attitudes of pregnant women and their depression, anxiety, and stress levels. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 349 pregnant women in Turkey. Data were collected through an online survey using a personal information form, the Religious Attitude Scale (RAS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The prevalence of moderate or higher depression, anxiety, and stress was 31.5%, 52.2%, and 5.7%, respectively. Higher religious attitude scores were associated with lower depression, anxiety, and stress scores in unadjusted analyses. After adjustment for age group and gestational trimester, higher religious attitude scores remained significantly associated with lower depression scores, whereas the associations with anxiety and stress were no longer statistically significant. These findings support the importance of screening pregnant women for depression, anxiety, and stress and considering their religious and cultural characteristics when providing care.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149116917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-Lagged Associations Between Spiritual-Religious Support and Subjective Health Across 23 Societies: Cross-Level Moderation by Healthcare Access and Quality.","authors":"Albert Jiansong Zheng, Sylvia Xiaohua Chen","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02795-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02795-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The association between spiritual/religious support and subjective health has not been extensively examined, and little is known about whether regional variation in Healthcare Access and Quality moderates this correlation. To address this gap, this study integrates longitudinal data from the Global Flourishing Study with the Global Burden of Disease dataset and applies multilevel models to examine the association between spiritual/religious support and subjective health, as well as the moderating role of Healthcare Access and Quality (N = 125,019 across two waves, nested within 23 societies). Results indicate positive cross-lagged associations between spiritual/religious support and subjective health. Moreover, in societies with lower Healthcare Access and Quality, baseline spiritual/religious support may be more strongly associated with subsequent subjective health. These cross-societal findings reveal a cross-lagged association between spiritual/religious support and health and highlight the moderating role of regional Healthcare Access and Quality. Spiritual/religious support is associated with better health in contexts with limited healthcare, possibly functioning as a partial compensatory resource.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149116986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Naming Sacred Space in a Canadian Healthcare Setting: Is the Word \"Multifaith\" Inclusive of All Beliefs?","authors":"Dale Nikkel, Sarita Naa Akuye Addy, Stephen Yeo, Sandy Jansen, Karen Perkin","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02787-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02787-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of this article is to outline a quality improvement initiative at St. Joseph's Health Care London, Canada, involving the Spiritual Care Department and the office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. With an aim to deepen inclusivity and belonging of all traditions, this article outlines the process of assessing the inclusivity of \"multifaith\" as a name for sacred spaces on our sites, and whether the word is inclusive of all beliefs-for those oriented to faith, or those not oriented to faith or identifiable faith worldview. Engaging patients, residents, volunteers, and care partners, the process considered spiritual care competencies, Catholic health ethics, and equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles for decision-making. The article outlines the decision-making process and the eventual conclusion that \"multifaith\" did exclude some individuals, as well as the process of choosing a new name \"Reflection and Prayer Space\" that was more inclusive and welcoming. The article highlights the partnership between the spiritual care and equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and the importance of acknowledging spiritual diversity and helping develops more welcoming sacred spaces in health care.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149116984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of Awareness and Multidimensional Religiosity with Attitudes and Willingness Toward Organ and Body Donation Among University Students in Kazakhstan.","authors":"Kurmet Danebek, Joseph Almazan, Jonas P Cruz, Srinivasa Rao Bolla","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02799-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02799-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This cross-sectional study assessed sociodemographic characteristics, awareness, attitudes toward organ donation, and religiosity. The study examined associations between these factors and willingness to donate organs and bodies among a convenience sample of 369 students (5.6% response rate) from a university in Kazakhstan. The survey instrument is an amalgamation of preexisting studies inquiring about socioeconomic data, awareness, willingness, and attitudes toward organ and body donations. Religiosity is measured by the Duke University Religion (DUREL) Index. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations of religiosity and sociodemographic variables with attitudes toward organ donation. Binary logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with students' willingness to donate their organs and bodies. Awareness of organ and body donations was high among the respondents (62.1% and 79.1%, respectively). The overall attitude score for organ donation was 3.47, indicating moderately positive attitudes. Higher Non-Organizational Religious Activity (NORA) scores were associated with more favorable organ donation attitudes, whereas higher Intrinsic Religiosity (IR) scores were associated with less favorable attitudes. Students outside Education, Medicine, and Health Sciences programs tended to report less support for body donation. Awareness level was high regarding organ and body donations but limited regarding legal frameworks. Attitude and awareness were associated with willingness to donate organs and bodies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149116945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}