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Prayer for Health Concerns
Results of a National Survey on Prevalence and Patterns of Use
Anne M. McCaffrey, MD;
David M. Eisenberg, MD;
Anna T. R. Legedza, ScD;
Roger B. Davis, ScD;
Russell S. Phillips, MD
Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:858-862.
Background Prayer is a common practice in the United States, yet little is known about the prevalence and patterns of use of prayer for health concerns.
Objective To determine the prevalence and patterns of use of prayer for health concerns.
Methods We conducted a national survey in 1998 (N = 2055, 60% weighted response rate) on use of prayer. Data were also collected on sociodemographics, use of conventional medicine, and use of complementary and alternative medical therapies. Factors associated with the use of prayer were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.
Results We found that 35% of respondents used prayer for health concerns; 75% of these prayed for wellness, and 22% prayed for specific medical conditions. Of those praying for specific medical conditions, 69% found prayer very helpful. Factors independently associated with increased use of prayer (P<.05) included age older than 33 years (age 34-53 years: odds ratio [OR], 1.6 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-2.1]; age  54 years: OR, 1.5 [95% CI, 1.1-2.0]); female sex (OR, 1.4 [95% CI, 1.1-1.7]); education beyond high school (OR, 1.5 [95% CI, 1.2-1.8]); and having depression, chronic headaches, back and/or neck pain, digestive problems, or allergies. Only 11% of respondents using prayer discussed it with their physicians.
Conclusions An estimated one third of adults used prayer for health concerns in 1998. Most respondents did not discuss prayer with their physicians. Prayer was used frequently for common medical conditions, and users reported high levels of perceived helpfulness.
From the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Osher Institute, Harvard Medical School, and the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass. The authors have no relevant financial interest in this article.
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