The relationship between religiosity and cardiovascular risk factors in Japan: a large–scale cohort study

•We examined the relationships between cardiovascular risk factors and religiosity.•More religious people tend to have healthier habits across both cross–sectional and longitudinal analyses.•More religious people tend to have lower risk of developing diabetes in longitudinal analyses.

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between religiosity and cardiovascular risk factors in a Japanese population. A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving individuals who underwent annual health check–ups at St. Luke's International Hospital from 2005 to 2010. Data collected included self–reported demographics, clinical information, and health habits, as well as religiosity, baseline examination, and laboratory measures. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to examine the associations between religiosity and cardiovascular risk factors at baseline and longitudinally. The analyses were performed in 2012. A total of 36,965 participants were enrolled, and 13,846 (37.8%) reported being at least somewhat religious. Compared with those who were not religious at baseline, religious participants (n = 3685) were less likely to be current smokers (odds ratio [OR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53–0.67) and to report excessive alcohol consumption (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67–0.82), and more likely to exercise at least three times a week (OR, 1.27; 95% CI,1.16-1.39) and to be obese (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.19–1.47). There were no significant differences in the rate of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or dyslipidemia prevalence. In longitudinal data analyses, religiosity was associated with a lower likelihood of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and a higher likelihood of regular exercise and a lower incidence of diabetes over time. Individuals who were more religious were significantly more likely to have favorable health habits and fewer cardiovascular risk factors, except for a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity at baseline. Religiosity was also associated with better health habits over time and less likely to be associated with future diabetes but not with blood pressure or lipid levels.