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. 2025 Aug 20.
doi: 10.1007/s10943-025-02419-y. Online ahead of print.

Religiosity, Spirituality, and Physical Activity Among Hypertensive Individuals in Brazil

Aliny Serafim Borges Ferreira  1 , Yanne da Silva Camargo  1 , Luana Araújo Macedo Scalia  1 , Patrícia Magnabosco  1 , Maria Angélica Melo E Oliveira  1 , Nelson Dinamarco  2 , Valéria Nasser Figueiredo  3
Affiliations

Religiosity, Spirituality, and Physical Activity Among Hypertensive Individuals in Brazil

Aliny Serafim Borges Ferreira et al. J Relig Health. .

Abstract

Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, and physical activity is crucial for managing blood pressure. This study investigates the role of religiosity/spirituality in physical activity among hypertensive individuals. A cross-sectional study with 237 participants from a Brazilian teaching hospital collected data on sociodemographics, clinical conditions, and physical activity, measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Religiosity/spirituality was assessed using the Duke University Religion Index and the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiosity and Spirituality. Logistic regression analysis identified significant factors associated with a sedentary lifestyle, including sex (OR: 2.10, 95% CI = 1.19-3.70, p < 0.05), comorbidities (OR: 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06-1.72, p < 0.05), and intrinsic religiosity (OR: 0.87, 95% CI = 0.77-0.97, p < 0.05). The results show that 39.2% of participants were sedentary, with female sex, comorbidities, and lower intrinsic religiosity predicting sedentary behavior. These findings highlight the potential of religiosity in influencing physical activity and lifestyle in hypertensive patients.

Keywords: Hypertension; Physical exercise; Religion; Sedentary behavior; Spirituality.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Ethics Approval: This study was approved by the local Research Ethics Committee, obtaining substantiated opinion no. 3 3792420.0.0000.5152. Consent to Participate: All participants signed the free and informed consent form, ensuring their rights and privacy.

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