A hallmark of the work of Baylor ISR’s Program on Religion and Population Health (PRPH) is secondary analysis of representative data sources in order to further an understanding of the connections between religion and personal and population health and aging.  The director of PRPH, Dr. Jeff Levin, has been researching and writing on this subject for over 25 years, and a principal function of PRPH is to continue this work and expand its reach.  Empirical research by ISR investigators and collaborators is focused especially on three topics:

1. Epidemiologic research on the ostensibly protective effects of religiousness for personal and population health using data from national and international probability samples. This research is an extension of the programmatic studies conducted by Dr. Levin and his colleagues throughout the U.S. since the mid 1980s. These investigations make special use of data from the Gallup World Poll (GWP), a program of multiple waves of national probability data from over 160 countries.  Dr. Levin is a consulting Research Scholar for Gallup.

2. Social and gerontological research on religion among underinvestigated populations (e.g., African-American respondents). This research continues collaborative studies between Dr. Levin and colleagues at the University of Michigan’s Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA) that have been productively ongoing for about 20 years, principally in partnership with Drs. Robert Joseph Taylor and Linda M. Chatters.

3. Empirical research on the physical and mental health impact of faith-based other-regarding attitudes and behaviors (primarily altruistic and compassionate love). This research expands Dr. Levin’s work related to development of the Sorokin Multidimensional Inventory of Love Experience (SMILE) and validation of significant and salutary impacts on outcomes such as global self-ratings of health and depressed affect.  This work was initially supported by funding from the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), in Petaluma, CA, and more recently by the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (IRUL), located in Stony Brook, NY.

For more information on PRBA, visit http://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/prba/.

For more information on IONS, visit http://www.noetic.org/.

For more information on IRUL, visit http://www.unlimitedloveinstitute.org/.

For more information on the SMILE, visit http://www.religionandhealth.com/thesmile.html.

For more information on the GWP, visit http://www.gallup.com/consulting/worldpoll/24046/about.aspx.