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Can Religion Save Our Health?: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from the U.S

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  • Park, Yoon Soo

Abstract

There is a large amount of empirical literature reporting that people who regularly attend religious services tend to have better health outcomes. However, it remains an unanswered question as to whether the observed correlation reflects any causality. Exploiting exogenous changes in church attendance driven by law changes in 21 states of the U.S., I find tentative but suggestive evidence that the observed strong correlation between religious participation and health is likely to be driven by endogenous selection.

Suggested Citation

  • Park, Yoon Soo, 2018. "Can Religion Save Our Health?: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from the U.S," KDI Journal of Economic Policy, Korea Development Institute (KDI), vol. 40(1), pages 31-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:kdijep:200818
    DOI: 10.23895/kdijep.2018.40.1.31
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Danny Cohen-Zada & William Sander, 2011. "Religious Participation versus Shopping: What Makes People Happier?," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(4), pages 889-906.
    2. Jonathan Gruber & Daniel M. Hungerman, 2008. "The Church Versus the Mall: What Happens When Religion Faces Increased Secular Competition?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(2), pages 831-862.
    3. Gerber, Alan S. & Gruber, Jonathan & Hungerman, Daniel M., 2016. "Does Church Attendance Cause People to Vote? Using Blue Laws’ Repeal to Estimate the Effect of Religiosity on Voter Turnout," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(3), pages 481-500, July.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    U.S.; Religious Participation; Subjective Health; Blue Law; Causal Inference; Instrumental Variable;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • K20 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - General

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