Prayer in Marriage to Improve Wellness: Relationship Quality and Cardiovascular Functioning

This study examined daily partner-focused petitionary prayer (PFPP) on relationship communication and quality as well as novel indices of cardiovascular functioning in a sample of 90 adults. PFPP was compared to waitlist and meditation conditions over a 4-week period. Aortic hemodynamics via pulse w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion and health 2020-12, Vol.59 (6), p.2990-3003
Main Authors: May, Ross W., Cooper, Ashley N., Fincham, Frank D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aging
Blood Pressure - physiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control
Christianity - psychology
Clinical Psychology
Female
Hemodynamics
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Marriage - psychology
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Meditation
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Original Paper
Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
Personal Satisfaction
Public Health
Quality of Life - psychology
Religion
Religion and Psychology
Religious Studies
Sexual Partners
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Summary:This study examined daily partner-focused petitionary prayer (PFPP) on relationship communication and quality as well as novel indices of cardiovascular functioning in a sample of 90 adults. PFPP was compared to waitlist and meditation conditions over a 4-week period. Aortic hemodynamics via pulse wave analysis were assessed before and after the intervention. Factorial repeated measures analyses indicated that for those in the prayer condition, there were significant improvements in coronary perfusion, decreased left ventricular work, and increased coronary blood flow. Additionally, the perceived positive aspects of one's relationship improved for those in the prayer condition. Similar changes did not occur in waitlist and meditation conditions. Findings suggest that daily PFPP improves relationship quality and cardiovascular efficiency via improving protective cardiovascular mechanisms. Practical implications are briefly discussed.
ISSN:0022-4197
1573-6571
DOI:10.1007/s10943-019-00829-3