Dear Editor,
In the November 2022 issue of the journal, various authors focused on a plethora of public health concerns and their prevention [1]. They stressed the importance of effective systems, healthy lifestyles, interventions, and support from multiple institutions for the well-being of the people. In addition to their valuable studies, the author would like to add that providing religious and/or spiritual support to community members, especially the most vulnerable in society, promotes human flourishing and alleviates the pressures of their day-to-day life. In this letter, the author would like to give insights into the relationship of religion/spirituality with the health and well-being of the people, particularly vulnerable populations.
Recent studies have shown that religion, spirituality, medicine, and healthcare are interconnected as part of a holistic approach to health [2,3]. Vulnerable populations who face adversity turn to religion for support [4]. This commentary presents an overview of scholarly articles on health, religion, and vulnerable populations. A review of published literature for the past 5 years has been conducted. Using Boolean operators with the search terms “health,” “religion and spirituality,” and “vulnerable population” in the EBSCO Discovery Service and limiting the results to peer-reviewed articles, the author found only 9 articles. A summary of the themes and insights on health, religion/spirituality, and vulnerable populations can be found in Table 1.
As nations continue to deal with the many challenges caused by health and cost-of-living crises, the author agrees that special attention should be given to filling the gap of inequalities, particularly for the most vulnerable members of society. These crises have a profound impact on them. Therefore, supporting the poor requires collaboration among various institutions. Faith-based organizations may also be given attention as they provide religious and spiritual support, as well as public health services to the needy [5], Last but not least, the limited number of studies linking health, religion/spirituality, and the vulnerable population presents a good opportunity for further research, particularly on tackling poverty and inequalities.
Notes
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CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The author has no conflicts of interest to declare for this study.
Table 1.Themes and insights on health, religion/spirituality, and vulnerable populations
No. of articles |
Themes |
Insights |
1 |
Partnership for collaborative global health and well-being |
Various organizations, including government, public health organizations, and religious institutions, are called to collaborate and support the well-being of the vulnerable in society |
2 |
Religion and recovery |
Faith-based organizations and other religious institutions are instrumental in providing recovery and public health services to the poor and needy |
3 |
Need for public health and religious care |
Empirical evidence shows that public health and religious care are needed by individuals experiencing adversities in life |
3 |
Positive impact of religion/spirituality |
Studies show that there is a significant and positive impact of religion/spirituality in improving the health and well-being of the vulnerable population |
REFERENCES
- 1. Various Authors. November issue. J Prev Med Public Health 2022;55(6):499-603ArticlePubMedPMCPDF
- 2. Balboni TA, VanderWeele TJ, Doan-Soares SD, Long KN, Ferrell BR, Fitchett G, et al. Spirituality in serious illness and health. JAMA 2022;328(2):184-197ArticlePubMed
- 3. Wilde O. A history of religion, medicine, and healthcare. In: Koenig HG, King DE, Carson VB, editors. Handbook of religion and health. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2012. p. 15-34
- 4. Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. Int Sch Res Netw 2012;2012: 278730ArticlePDF
- 5. Del Castillo FA, Del Castillo CD. Lessons from COVID19: advocacy toward the vulnerable. J Public Health (Oxf) 2020;42(4):869-870ArticlePubMedPDF
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