To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE
Research Shows Real Social Relationships Necessary For Healthy Life"We take relationships for granted as humans—we're like fish that don't notice the water. That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health." (Utah)—A new Brigham Young University study adds social relationships to the "short list" of factors that predict a person's odds of living or dying. In the journal PLoS Medicine, BYU professors Julianne Holt-Lunstad and Timothy Smith report that social connections—friends, family, neighbors or colleagues—improve our odds of survival by 50 percent. Here is how low social interaction compares to more well-known risk factors: • Equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day "The idea that a lack of social relationships is a risk factor for death is still not widely recognized by health organizations and the public," write the PLoS Medicine editors in a summary of the BYU study and why it was done. The researchers analyzed data from 148 previously published longitudinal studies that measured frequency of human interaction and tracked health outcomes for a period of seven and a half years on average. Because information on relationship quality was unavailable, the 50 percent increased odds of survival may underestimate the benefit of healthy relationships. "The data simply show whether they were integrated in a social network," Holt-Lunstad said. "That means the effects of negative relationships are lumped in there with the positive ones. They are all averaged together." "When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks," Holt-Lunstad said. "This effect is not isolated to older adults," Smith said. "Relationships provide a level of protection across all ages." Smith said that modern conveniences and technology can lead some people to think that social networks aren't necessary. "We take relationships for granted as humans—we're like fish that don't notice the water," Smith said. "That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health." Brad Layton worked on the study as an undergrad at BYU and appears as a co-author on the new study. Layton's involvement in this project helped him secure a spot as a Ph.D. candidate in the highly ranked epidemiology program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Click on the link provided to watch a video of the research.
To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News Trump Under Fire for Endorsing the Bible, Urging Americans to Pray Speaker Johnson Announces He'll Invite Netanyahu to Address Congress Federal Appeals Court Rules Pennsylvania Must Only Count Mail Ballots With Dates, Signatures President Trump to Join Wake Honoring Slain NYPD Officer, While Biden Attends Fundraiser Elon Musk to Pay Embattled Doctor's Legal Fees after Speaking Out against COVID Lockdowns Safety of Women Hangs in Balance after Oral Arguments on Abortion Pill Regulation New Federal Gun Grab Law Would Criminalize Shooting Ranges, and Even Private Security Treasury Sec. Yellen: Biden Has NO Plan to Save Social Security Chick-fil-A Abandons Long-Held 'No Antibiotics' Pledge on Chicken The War in Myanmar: Karenni Resistance Fighters Ask for Prayer and Practical Help The World Is Facing a Major Population Crisis by 2075 If Birth Rates Keep Falling FDA Admits COVID Vaccines Cause Seizures in Toddlers Kamala Harris Won't Disclose Why Biden Campaign Is Active on TikTok Despite Security Worries Search the Articles Archives |
All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.
Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.
Home | Store | Subscribe | Facebook | Article Archive |