Religion shaped childhoods long before science asked what it does to health. For many, growing up with faith meant comfort, rituals, and belonging. For others, it carried duty and guilt.
Researchers from the University of Helsinki wanted to know if these early lessons in belief echo decades later. Their study explores how a religious upbringing might affect health in older age across 28 European countries.
The results are not what most expect. Faith during childhood appears to help in some ways but hurt in others. People raised with religion often report better physical ability yet worse mental and cognitive health in later life.
Religious upbringing and health
The study followed over 10,000 adults aged 50 and older. Nearly eight in ten said they were raised religiously. Those people were more likely to be older, less educated, and from families that struggled financially. For many, religion was part of survival, not choice.
The researchers found that people with a religious upbringing had slightly worse self-rated health as adults. Yet the pattern was uneven.
“While religion may offer some benefits, it doesn’t necessarily fully mitigate the health risks linked to long-term disadvantages,” said Xu Zong of the University of Helsinki.
Faith, in this study, acted like a double-edged tool. It built resilience but also revealed hardship.
Faith as a mirror
The study suggests religion often reflects life’s circumstances rather than changing them.
Poorer families, or those touched by mental illness and alcohol dependence, turned to faith for structure and hope. Those children grew up carrying both belief and burden.
“In particular, parental mental health issues and heavy alcohol consumption intensify the negative association between an early religious upbringing and self-rated health in later life,” noted Zong.
That means religion helped people endure hardship, but it did not erase its mark. Poverty and emotional instability left deeper scars than sermons could heal.
How religion shapes health
Religion can influence health in many subtle ways. A person who learns patience, gratitude, and forgiveness early may handle stress better as an adult.
Shared prayers can strengthen social ties and provide comfort. Yet religion can also cause strain when rules feel rigid or guilt runs deep.
In the study, researchers linked these effects to three main routes. Faith can shape emotions, social networks, and habits. It can encourage community and discipline. It can also limit independence and increase conflict if beliefs clash with personal choices.
Those raised in strict settings sometimes felt lifelong pressure to meet moral expectations. Others carried comfort from faith into adulthood. The difference often depended on family stability, education, and support.
Why the findings differ
Using a machine learning method called a causal forest, the researchers traced complex links between religion and health. The data showed clear variation.
Women, people over 65, the unmarried, and those with little education reported worse health when raised religiously. People who prayed but never attended religious gatherings also fared worse.
Europe’s history helps explain this. After World War II, religious education was common. But as Europe secularized, the gap widened between early devotion and later disbelief.
That cultural shift may have created tension for many. Faith once promised belonging; later it felt out of step with modern life.
In contrast, U.S. studies often show stronger health benefits from religion, likely because public and private life there remain more faith-centered. Europe’s story is different. Here, belief faded, but the memory of strict moral systems remained.
The social roots
Religion in childhood cannot be separated from social inequality. Families with fewer resources often pass down not just prayer habits but limited opportunities.
“Investing in children’s social wellbeing in Finland and other ageing societies is one of the most effective ways to build a healthier, more equal future,” said Zong.
The research highlights how religion and inequality intertwine. Faith may ease suffering, but only early support and stable conditions create lasting health. In other words, the social world matters more than the sermon.
Looking forward
The study, published in Social Science & Medicine, challenges the idea that faith alone builds a healthy life.
Religion offered many participants moral grounding and social connection, yet its benefits often faded when poverty and stress persisted.
By 2050, the world’s population over 60 will reach more than two billion. Understanding how early experiences shape wellbeing is crucial. This study reminds us that health begins not in belief but in belonging.
Religion can still inspire kindness and resilience. But a fair start in life, with care and stability, seems the stronger path to aging well.
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