Revista Brasileira em Promoção da Saúde (May 2014)

A systematic review of the influence of religiosity on the adoption of an active lifestyle

  • Ana Raquel Mendes dos Santos,
  • Penélopy Dabbicco,
  • Hemília Gabrielly de Oliveira Cartaxo,
  • Emília Amélia Pinto Costa da Silva,
  • Maíra da Rocha Melo de Souza,
  • Clara Maria Silvestre Monteiro de Freitas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5020/2950
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 26, no. 3
pp. 419 – 425

Abstract

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Objectives: To identify and analyze the determining religious factors in the adoption of an active lifestyle through a systematic review. Methods: The research was performed in the LILACS, MEDLINE / PubMed, SciELO, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and SocINDEX databases using the following descriptors and keywords: “religion”, “religiosity”, “spiritual”, “spirituality”, “physical activity” and “physical exercise”. The selection of articles had the following inclusion criteria: fully available original articles published between 2002 and 2011 in Portuguese and English. Literature reviews, theses, dissertations and monographs were excluded. Results: The sample consisted of ten articles. It could be identified from their analysis that in groups based on faith, holy scriptures and/or sacred teachings, the messages transmitted by the religious leaders and the level of religiosity are the main factors for adopting an active lifestyle. Conclusion: Religiosity appeared as an important aspect for the incorporation of physical activity in one’s life, thus improving their quality of life. doi:10.5020/18061230.2013.p419