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Research has shown that effect of prayer on aging is positive.

If you are an older American who is suffering from holiday stress this season, there are good odds that you used prayer to ward it off, according to latest research.

Prayer for health

A study from some universities show that most older adults use prayer as a tool more than any other alternative health remedy for coping with stress in their lives. Apart from that, nurse researchers found that prayer is the most frequently reported alternative treatment used by doctors and seniors to feel better.

About 96 percent of older adults use prayer to cope with stress.

Survey and study

The study also shows that 84 percent of the respondents in the survey reported using prayer more than any other alternative remedies. From a list of 32 alternative therapies, prayer is used more often than exercise or any other relaxation techniques, humor or herbal remedies.

According to recent research, many Americans pray and the prayer has a positive effect on mental and physical health. But most of the studies relating to prayer and health have been conducted on extremely ill, hospitalized or surgical patients.

Some researchers interviewed 50 people having an average age of 74. This took place at six community senior centers and one church. Seventy percent of the respondents were women. 48 percent of them were white and 52 percent of them were black. About half of the respondents were Catholic followed by Protestants and others.

However, there are a few differences among these groups of people in the use of prayer as a method of coping. However, many women and black/African Americans used using prayer to cope with stress more than men and white/Caucasians.

While prayer was the alternative therapy used, more than one-third of the respondents of the survey reported using some spiritual strategies to feel good or maintain their health. Prayer, music, art, energy healing, humor, meditation, relaxation and religious counseling were some spiritual treatments to cure ailments.

Some senior people who prayed using spiritual treatments were also found to use more positive and self-reliant coping strategies.

Prayer for the old

Many of us go through events which can lead to stress in daily life. It is important that people should have different ways to manage that stress. Prayer seems to be one important way for many people who are old. Older adults are more prone to high risk for stress. This is due to deteriorating health, chronic illness, and so on.

This study also shows that prayer could help minimize the negative effects of stress. It also helps older people maintain an optimum level of health. Many nurses do research to find how to help patients maintain good health.