Search

The ethics in Catholic hospitals are guided by the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which provide direction on many topics, including family planning. Previous research has demonstrated there is variability in the availability of prohibited family planning services at Catholic hospitals. This study aims to research a potential source of variability in interpretation and application of the directives through interviewing ethics committee members. Participants were recruited from two different hospitals on the east coast with a total sample size of eight. Ethics committee members were asked questions regarding their personal approach to ethics, their hospital's approach to ethics, and the permissibility of specific family planning methods at their hospital. Most ethics committee members stated that the Catholic faith and/or directives were important in their hospitals' approach to ethics. Most participants stated that they had instances in which their personal approach to ethics conflicted with their hospital's approach, citing women's health and end-of-life care as common causes of conflict. All but one ethics committee member stated that hormonal contraception was forbidden under the directives; however, many members stated that this was either a gray area or permissible under certain circumstances. Reproductive health issues rarely came before the ethics committee at either site with one participant referring to them as "black and white issues." This research suggests that ethics committee members did not see the directives governing family planning services to be ambiguous. However, given the low frequency in which these issues come to the attention of the ethics committee, it is difficult to determine whether the opinions expressed by our participants contribute to the variability between Catholic hospitals when it comes to reproductive healthcare provision. An interesting topic for future research would be interviewing executives at Catholic hospitals to determine where this variability arises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Since January 2022, assisted suicide (AS) in Austria is legal under certain conditions. One of these conditions is informative consultations with two physicians, one of whom must be qualified in palliative medicine. Patients who are thinking about AS can approach palliative care institutions. This study aims to assess the availability and nature of Austrian palliative care institutions' web-based statements about AS. Methods: In this qualitative study, the websites of all Austrian palliative care units (n = 43) and all Austrian inpatient hospices (n = 14) were searched for possible statements on AS once in February 2022 and once in August 2022 using the three search terms "suicide", "assisted", and "euthanasia". The findings were subsequently evaluated using thematic analysis and NVivo software. Results: Statements or texts that included positions on AS were found on the websites of 11 institutions (19%). The results covered three main themes 1) demarcation: denial of involvement and judgment about AS, 2) duty: handling of requests and describing the target group of care recipients, and 3) explanation: experience, values, concerns, and demands. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that people in Austria who wish to have AS and who may use the internet as their first source of information largely find no relevant information. There is no online statement of a palliative care or hospice institution that endorses AS. Positions on AS are mostly lacking, while reluctant attitudes of Christian institutions are predominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A physician in a chronic pain treatment clinic must recognize that the relationship between pain and spirituality is bidirectional. Chronic pain can decrease the level of spiritual well-being, and low spiritual well-being can also significantly intensify the perception of pain and worsen coping with it. Currently, for many scientific and medical communities, it is evident that spiritual care is an indispensable element of holistic medicine. Objective: The authors developed a non-religious spiritual care model provided by a physician at a chronic pain treatment clinic from May 2022 to February 2024. Method: The study utilized a mixed-method approach to conduct the research. The analysis consisted of twelve patients. A FACIT-Sp-12 questionnaire evaluated the individual's spiritual well-being before the intervention. The intervention involved asking patients open-ended questions about their life history, experiences, and spiritual beliefs and the physician's use of active listening and empathetic responses to what patients shared (relationship-building activities). The intervention aimed to assist patients in accepting the limitations of an incurable chronic disease, affirming the value of their lives, enhancing inner harmony, and increasing their sense of belonging to something greater. After the intervention, a re-assessment of the patient's spiritual well-being was conducted using the FACIT-Sp-12 questionnaire. Researchers collected qualitative data through a confidential survey that included the following instructions: "Please express an anonymous opinion on how you perceive the spiritual care provided by the physician". Results: There was an increase in spiritual well-being, assessed using the FACIT-Sp-12 scale, in 9 out of 12 patients. The median, as well as the average, level of spiritual well-being increased in a statistically significant way after the intervention (p < 0.05). This was primarily due to the higher value of the peace subscale of the questionnaire. Qualitative analysis revealed benefits reported by patients (personal development, gratitude, satisfaction, support, hope) resulting from physician's actions. Conclusions: Both qualitative and quantitative data showed that establishing a relationship with the doctor improves the spiritual well-being of patients. Therefore, this model can be recommended for physicians in chronic pain treatment clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the correlation between religiosity and alcohol use among adolescents with orofacial clefts. Methods: Cross-sectional study, developed in a Brazilian public and tertiary hospital, between December 2021 and March 2022. Data collection was hybrid, and three instruments were used: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Durel Religiosity Scale, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. For statistical analysis, the following tests were used: χ2, Fisher’s Exact, Mann-Whitney and Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient, in addition to analyses of linear correlation strength and bivariate logistic regression. The significance level adopted for all tests was 5% (p≤0.05). Results: 370 adolescents participated, with a mean age of 15.2 years (±1.8). Among them, 23 (5.4%) used alcohol riskly or harmfully, being more frequent among male adolescents (p=0.001), those of mixed race (p=0.046), attending high school (p=0.011), with no religion (p

This study compares clinical practice and objections to controversial ethical issues among 836 Brazilian resident physicians according to levels of religiousness/spirituality. Residents with low religiousness/spirituality (s/r) believed less in the influence of spirituality on clinical practice, were less comfortable addressing this issue, tended to listen less carefully and try to change the subject more than other groups. Residents with high spirituality and low religiousness (S/r) inquired more about religious/spiritual issues, while those with high religiousness/spirituality (S/R) were more supportive and reported fewer barriers to addressing these issues. Concerning ethical issues (e.g., physician-assisted suicide, withdrawal of life support, abortion), S/R had more objections than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol and illicit drug use are prevalent among homeless people. Religiosity and spirituality (RS) have been widely associated with lower consumption of substances. However, evidence of this relationship among homeless people is still scarce. Aims: To evaluate the associations between RS and alcohol and illicit drug consumption among homeless people in a large Brazilian urban center. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out in São Paulo city, Brazil. Aspects such as spirituality (FACIT-Sp12), religiosity (DUREL), spiritual-religious coping (Brief-RCOPE), and self-report questions concerning the current substance use (alcohol and illicit substances) were evaluated. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of RS beliefs on alcohol and illicit drug consumption. Results: A total of 456 homeless people were included, of an average age of 44.5 (SD = 12.6) years. More than half of the participants consumed alcohol (55.7%) weekly and 34.2% used illicit drugs weekly. Adjusted logistic regression models identified that aspects of RS were associated with lower likelihood factors for alcohol and illicit drug use; conversely, negative spiritual religious coping (SRC) strategies were associated with a higher likelihood to use both. Conclusion: The prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug use among participants was high. RS and positive SRC were important protective factors for lower consumption of these substances. Conversely, negative SRC strategies were associated with risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is solid evidence that spirituality and religiousness may reduce the suicidal ideation of individuals. However, studies are scarce on medical students. Aims: To investigate the relationship between spirituality, religiousness, and suicidal ideation among Brazilian medical students. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including Brazilian medical students. Sociodemographic and health variables, suicidal ideation (item 9 of the Beck Depression Inventory – BDI), spiritual and religious Coping (Brief SRC), religiousness (Duke Religion Index), spiritual well-being – Meaning, Peace and Faith (FACIT SP-12), and depressive (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms were assessed. Results: A total of 353 medical students were included, 62.0% presented significant depressive symptoms, 44.2% presented significant anxiety symptoms, and 14.2% presented suicidal ideation. In the adjusted Logistic Regression models, meaning (OR = 0.90, p =.035) and faith (OR = 0.91, p =.042) were associated with lower suicidal ideation, while negative spiritual and religious coping was associated with greater suicidal ideation (OR = 1.08; p =.006). Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of suicidal ideation among Brazilian medical students. Spirituality and religiousness were associated with suicidal ideation in two different directions. These findings could help educators and health professionals to understand suicidal ideation among medical students, helping in the development of preventive strategies to mitigate such problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo implement a multilevel, church-based intervention with diverse disparity populations using community-based participatory research and evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness in improving obesity-related outcomes.DesignCluster randomized controlled trial (pilot).SettingTwo midsized (∼200 adults) African American baptist and 2 very large (∼2000) Latino Catholic churches in South Los Angeles, California.ParticipantsAdult (18+ years) congregants (n = 268 enrolled at baseline, ranging from 45 to 99 per church).InterventionVarious components were implemented over 5 months and included 2 sermons by pastor, educational handouts, church vegetable and fruit gardens, cooking and nutrition classes, daily mobile messaging, community mapping of food and physical activity environments, and identification of congregational policy changes to increase healthy meals.MeasuresOutcomes included objectively measured body weight, body mass index (BMI), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), plus self-reported overall healthiness of diet and usual minutes spent in physical activity each week; control variables include sex, age, race-ethnicity, English proficiency, education, household income, and (for physical activity outcome) self-reported health status.AnalysisMultivariate linear regression models estimated the average effect size of the intervention, controlling for pair fixed effects, a main effect of the intervention, and baseline values of the outcomes.ResultsAmong those completing follow-up (68%), the intervention resulted in statistically significantly less weight gain and greater weight loss (-0.05 effect sizes; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.06 to -0.04), lower BMI (-0.08; 95% CI = -0.11 to -0.05), and healthier diet (-0.09; 95% CI = -0.17 to -0.00). There was no evidence of an intervention impact on BP or physical activity minutes per week.ConclusionImplementing a multilevel intervention across diverse congregations resulted in small improvements in obesity outcomes. A longer time line is needed to fully implement and assess effects of community and congregation environmental strategies and to allow for potential larger impacts of the intervention.

Professor Jean-Martin Charcot was the founder of clinical neurology and one of the prominent researchers in the field of hysteria in the 19th century. His book Les démoniaques dans l'art is a representation of hysterical symptoms in religion and religious art. This paper aims to discuss Charcot's descriptions of hysteria in religion and his “hysterical saints”.

Religious and spiritual beliefs and behaviors are powerful influences in the everyday lives of people worldwide and are especially salient for women and families around the birth of a child. A growing body of research indicates that aspects of religiousness and spirituality are associated with mental health including lower risk of postpartum depression, a disorder that affects as many as 1 in 5 women after birth. The mechanisms, however, are not well understood. In this study, psychosocial resources (mastery, self-esteem, and optimism) was tested as a mechanism linking religiousness and spirituality with depressive symptoms in 2399 postpartum women from the Community Child Health Network. Results indicated that religiousness and spirituality each predicted lower depressive symptoms throughout the first year postpartum. Psychosocial resources mediated these associations. Our findings contribute to existing knowledge by establishing psychological resources as mechanisms explaining how religiousness and spirituality influence mental health in women postpartum.

This essay traces the interconnected endeavours to forge civic health-care provisions and to Christianise the public sphere in late fourteenth-century Seville. Following waves of plague and civil unrest, and growing religious fervour, Seville of the period was building its civic structures anew. Within this process, the municipality and central religious figures in the city took initiatives to advance health care and public health. This essay demonstrates the breadth of measures invested in pursuing health in the city and their entanglement with the religious agenda. The individuals and institutions which sponsored and endorsed health care also advocated the ideal of a Christian community versed in the principles of the Christian faith. The unique case study of Seville's closely-knit community of health-care promoters sheds light on the significant role of health care and the perception of health within Iberian religious culture of the period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Making appropriate end-of-life decisions in the intensive care unit (ICU) requires shared interprofessional decision-making. Thus, a decision-making climate that values the contributions of all team members, addresses diverse opinions and seeks consensus among team members is necessary. Little is known about religion's influence on ethical decision-making climates. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between religious belief and ethical decision-making climates., Methods: The study was a cross-sectional analytical observation study as a part of the prospective observational DISPROPRICUS study. A total of 2,275 nurses and 717 physicians from 68 ICUs representing 12 countries in Europe and the US participated. All participants were asked which religion (if any) they belonged to and how important their religion (if any) was for their professional attitude towards end-of-life care. Perceptions of ethical decision-making climates were evaluated using a validated, 35-item self-assessment questionnaire that evaluates seven factors. Using cluster analysis, ICUs were categorised into four ethical decision-making climates: good, average (with nurses' involvement at the end of life), average (without nurses' involvement at the end of life) and poor., Results: Of the 2,992 participants, 453 (15%) were religious (had religious convictions and found them important or very important for their attitude towards end-of-life care). The remaining 2,539 were non-religious (i.e. had religious convictions but assessed that they were not important for their attitude towards end-of-life care). When adjusting for country and ICU, the overall perception of the four ethical climates was associated with religious beliefs, with non-religious healthcare providers having more positive perceptions of the ethical climates compared to religious healthcare providers (p < 0.01). Within good climates, non-religious healthcare providers rated leadership by physicians (p < 0.01), interdisciplinary reflection (p = 0.049) and active decision-making by physicians (p = 0.02) as more positive compared to religious participants. In poor climates, religious healthcare providers had a more positive perception of the active involvement of nurses (p = 0.01). Within the other climates, no differences were found., Conclusions: Overall perceptions of ethical decision-making climates were associated with religious beliefs, with non-religious healthcare providers generally having a more positive perception of the ethical climates than religious healthcare providers., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was conducted in accordance to national guidelines and regulations and in accordance to the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the ethics committees of all participating centers and the Danish National Health Authority. All clinical participants received written and oral information about the study. Participation was voluntary, and the local investigators did not have access to the individual responses. The participants provided informed consent by filling in the questionnaire. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Rationale: The Joint Commission emphasizes the importance of cultural competence and effective communication in quality medical care, particularly during end-of-life (EOL), when decisions are influenced by diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. For Orthodox Jewish patients, the philosophical framework used for EOL decision-making may conflict with that used in traditional Western medical ethics. In this paper, we explore the complexities of EOL decision-making for devout Jewish patients and highlight how approaches may differ from a Western ethical framework., Aims and Objectives: This paper aims to familiarize clinicians with EOL preferences of Orthodox Jewish patients, organized into an ethical framework called 'casuistic deontology'. Leading with an open-minded approach emphasizing cultural humility, we explore ways in which integrating this perspective can allow for culturally appropriate and compassionate EOL care., Method: Using a case study methodology, we focus on a 79-year-old Orthodox Jewish male hospitalized with severe injuries. The patient's medical course is analyzed, highlighting how the decisions made by his family in consultation with their Rabbi may differ from the decisions made with a philosophy of a Western ethical framework., Results and Conclusion: This case illustrates the ethical tensions that may arise when Western medical practices intersect with Orthodox Jewish beliefs, particularly regarding brain death, resuscitation, and artificial nutrition. We underscore the need for cultural sensitivity when approaching EOL decision-making, allowing for compassionate and comprehensive care that respects religious perspectives. This paper helps provide a structure for clinicians to navigate the complex EOL care needs for the devout Jewish patient in a manner consistent with their cultural and religious identity., (© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Kashmir's oldest Neolithic settlement dates back to 3000 BC. It stood as the centre of Buddhism and Hinduism for centuries, till the arrival of Islam in thirteenth century. Although Muslims ruled Kashmir under different empires for about four centuries and ever since there has always been a significant Muslim populace in Kashmir with or without Muslim rule, yet the literature about the history of health care in Kashmir and particularly the history about Muslim contributions to healthcare is sparingly limited. This paper aims at a) historical contextualization of healthcare in Kashmir, b) finding Muslim rulers` contributions if any to the healthcare system and c) exploring places of healing 'shafa-khanas' in Kashmir. In order to achieve these objectives, the methods used were data collection through locating key historical resources, by searching local libraries and bookshops and searching online academic databases, thereafter, subjecting the collected data to thematic analysis. Three themes emerged during data analysis, which corresponds to the objectives of this paper, these are a) 'Historical context of healthcare in Kashmir', b) 'Muslim contributions to healthcare in Kashmir' and c) 'Places of healing 'Shafa-khanas' in Kashmir'. The analysis shows that healthcare during Muslim rule was integrative, progressive, robust, indigenous, specialized, and efficient/accommodative. We conclude that though 'shafa-khanas' existed in medieval Kashmir, there is however not much literature available.

Background: Healthcare provided without attending to patients' religious/spiritual needs contributes to inequities., Objective: Assess Muslim American views on the importance and accessibility of religious/spiritual resources in hospitals., Design/participants/main Measures: A survey was distributed at community events and online to self-reported Muslim adults. It contained measures of religiosity, importance and availability of specific religious/spiritual resources, and conventional sociodemographic descriptors. Analyses utilized chi-squared tests and regression models to test associations between participant characteristics and views on the importance and availability of religious/spiritual resources in hospitals., Key Results: Of the 1281 respondents, many (68%; n = 875) were women, and South Asian (39%; n = 492) or Arab (37%; n = 469). Almost all (95%; n = 1203) noted it was important to have their religious/spiritual needs met in the hospital. The most important resources were halal food (93%; n = 1188), a neutral prayer space (93%; n = 1188), and medications without pork or alcohol (92%; n = 1177), yet a minority found such resources available; halal food (17%; n = 111), prayer space (26%; n = 169), and medication without pork or alcohol (9.3%; n = 59). Almost all (92%, N = 1180) felt comfortable identifying as Muslim in the hospital, yet few (27%, N = 173) were asked. Participants with higher positive religious coping placed greater importance on religious/spiritual needs being met (OR 1.15, p < .05). Those regularly attending congregational prayer services (β 0.2, p < 0.001), with more positive religious coping (β 0.11, p < 0.001), for whom Islam informed their whole approach to life (β 0.34, p < 0.001), and those with greater perceived discrimination in medical settings (β 0.03, p < 0.022) placed greater importance on the availability of Islamic resources in hospital. Those asked about religious affiliation (OR 2.23, p < 0.01) had higher odds of believing their religious/spiritual needs were met., Conclusions: Muslim Americans have substantial unmet religious/spiritual resource needs in hospital settings. Patient-centered, equitable care may be enhanced by clinicians inquiring about, and mobilizing resources to attend to these., Competing Interests: Declarations:. Conflict of Interest:: The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society of General Internal Medicine.)

Introduction: In an increasingly diverse healthcare landscape, addressing the specific needs of Muslim patients has become paramount. The absence of comprehensive frameworks for Shariah-compliant healthcare services often poses challenges for healthcare professionals striving to provide care that aligns with Islamic values., Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive framework for Shariah-compliant healthcare services, ensuring alignment with Islamic practices in healthcare., Methods, Setting, Participants: This consensus study employed a key input approach using the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and interpretive structural modelling. Conducted in Malaysia, the study involved 10 experts from various regions across the country. These experts were selected based on clear criteria that included professionals with experience in Islamic and/or healthcare, while those lacking relevant expertise were excluded., Results: The primary outcome was the identification of pertinent elements for the framework, with final elements measured based on expert consensus achieved through FDM. The panel of experts reached consensus on 10 essential elements that form the backbone of the framework for Shariah-compliant healthcare services. These elements include governance, medical ethics, patient care, human resources and professional development, facilities for Islamic worship (ibadah), spiritual care support, end-of-life care, Islamic environment, medicine and drugs, and affordability and accessibility., Conclusion: Ultimately, the development of this comprehensive framework is a crucial step in addressing the specific needs and concerns of Muslim patients worldwide. By incorporating the input and consensus of experts from various relevant fields, the resulting framework provides healthcare professionals with a solid foundation to deliver healthcare services that align with Islamic values, ultimately promoting the well-being of Muslim patients in Malaysia and tourists globally., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Introduction: Despite advances in treatment, the diagnosis and management of cancer remains a physical and psychological ordeal for the patient. Many authors have studied the impact of religiosity in cancer patients. The aim of our study was to describe the psychological influence of religious beliefs and practices in these patients., Methods: We conducted a descriptive study of 50 patients undergoing treatment in the Radiation Oncology Department. The Arabic version of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORFQ) was used to assess religious faith. The patient's psychological experience was assessed through a questionnaire., Results: The entire population was Muslim. The mean age was 60.5years (34-85years), 60% of whom were women. Breast cancer was predominant (46%). Twenty-six percent of the population was illiterate. The majority of patients (66%) reported an increase in their faith since the announcement of the disease. The religiosity score increased significantly with age (P=0.019). A positive correlation between time since diagnosis and number of prayers per day (P=0.009). The lower the level of education, the higher was the degree of faith (P=0.013). Moreover, low degrees of education were linked to greater acceptance of all therapeutic decisions (P=0.016)., Conclusion: This study suggests the value of religious beliefs in helping cancer patients come to terms with their illness., (Copyright © 2024 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was to investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes regarding halal pharmaceuticals among sharia practitioners in Palestine. A total of 420 sharia practitioners with different educational levels were included. This was a cross-sectional study conducted between March and July 2021 with the use of a standardized, self-administered questionnaire. Volunteers were selected throughout Palestine using a systematic random selection approach. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, median, and interquartile range). The Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to examine the relationship between demographic factors and the knowledge, attitude, and perception scores, respectively. The results revealed that sharia practitioners have relatively good and positive knowledge toward halal pharmaceuticals. The main knowledge of most halal pharmaceuticals was about 50.2%, yet there is still significant latitude in their knowledge of a few issues. The main attitude and perception score was about 96.4%. The results showed a positive and fair correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.153, P < 0.001) and also between knowledge and perception (r = 0.341, P < 0.001). In addition, there is a good correlation between attitude and perception (r = 0.681, P < 0.001). The study concluded that better knowledge of halal pharmaceuticals is associated with positive perceptions and behaviors. The government, pharmaceutical manufacturers, religious scholars, and health care professionals should collaborate to achieve the goal of using halal medications., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed Consent The informed consent forms, ethics, and aims of the present study were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at An-Najah National University (IRB Ref. Pharm. March 2021/39)., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This study aimed to examine the barriers and facilitators of the public toward deceased organ donation in Chandigarh, and Chennai, India, from three major religious groups, Hinduism, Islamism, and Christianity. Twenty-five focus groups were conducted (n = 87) stratified by study region, religion, sex, and age. Data were analysed using framework analysis. The results revealed that individuals were primarily willing to donate their organs. However, their religious views regarding death, after-life beliefs, funeral ritual practices, and lack of knowledge regarding their religion's position toward deceased organ donation created tension and ambiguity in the decision-making. However, younger age groups (18-30 years) appeared more open and positive toward deceased organ donation. The conclusion demands a clear need for religious leaders and stakeholders to address their religion's stance, which creates tension and ambiguity in any uncertainties surrounding cultural and religious-based views among the Indian population., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval This study is a part of the PhD work of the principal investigator, and the whole study was approved by the Institute for Health Research Ethics Committee (IHREC949), University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. Consent to Participate A detailed participant information sheet was given to all the participants, and all participants participated only after consenting to participate in this study. Consent to Publish The participant information sheet also informed that this study would be published, and all the participants also consented to publish the study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This exploratory qualitative study examined the involvement of religious leaders in maternal health practices with a focus on promoting institutional childbirth in the rural Jimma Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. In-depth interviews with 24 male religious leaders revealed five key themes: awareness of childbirth practices, religious beliefs, experiences of childbirth preparedness, experiences at health institutions, and challenges with using institutional childbirth services. The findings indicate that, while religious leaders significantly influence community attitudes toward institutional childbirth, their impact is often limited by a lack of awareness and insufficient engagement with health services. This study underscores the need for culturally sensitive interventions incorporating religious beliefs into maternal health promotion. Enhanced collaboration between health care providers and religious leaders, along with targeted training, is essential for improving maternal health outcomes and increasing the use of institutional childbirth services in rural Ethiopia and other similar contexts., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict interest The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval All study procedures followed relevant guidelines and regulations. Ethical approval was obtained from Jimma University's Institutional Review Board (reference No. RPGE-449-2016). To build trust, verbal consent was used instead of written consent, as approved by the board. This approach encouraged open communication during the study. Before obtaining consent, research objectives were clearly explained in the participants' local language. Information regarding safety, confidentiality, and privacy was also provided in detail. Only those who gave verbal consent were included in the study. Consent to Participate Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for Publication Not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare can potentially improve patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and diagnostic accuracy. However, it also raises serious ethical issues, especially in light of possible disparities in the distribution and accessibility of AI-powered healthcare resources. This study investigates how AI might affect health disparities. It bases its proposal for an equitable AI implementation framework on the justice teachings of the Catholic Church. In line with the Church's ethical commitment to social justice, the paper makes an ethical case for a responsible approach to AI in healthcare by examining the concepts of human dignity, the common good, and preferential option for the poor., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest We do not have any conflict of interest for this study., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This study examines the connection between health and religious beliefs in modern Chinese society and builds a model reimagining the conception of health. The study draws on interviews with 108 patients (52 were women and 56 were men) at Huashan Hospital (Shanghai City, China). The survey ran between May 10 and May 14, 2021. More than 50% of female and male respondents reported having religious beliefs. Most acknowledged the crucial role of faith and religious beliefs in overcoming treatment challenges and alleviating patient suffering. The role of faith and religious beliefs in physical/mental treatment and health maintenance received the highest average percent positive score among female respondents. According to the multiple regression results of demographic parameters (age, ethnicity, gender, education, and urban or rural residence), only gender had a statistically significant effect on the impact of religious beliefs on health care attitudes. The proposed model builds on the Confucian concept of Ren (humanity), which refers to a harmonious relationship between people within a family or society bound by specific rules. The results of this study can help expand awareness about religion and its role in healthcare as a means to support patients' spiritual and physical health., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest Authors declare that they have no conflict of interests., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Across the globe, spiritual care is offered by individuals, healthcare chaplains, and humanitarian, social and related spiritual groups on account of zeal, voluntary and paid services. Sometimes, services are provided without understanding the connectivity of compassion, spiritual care, and scientific protocols. There are instances where health professionals and managers disagree with spiritual caregivers or reject spiritual services because of poor service deliveries in conflict with healthcare protocols. Against this background, this article focuses on how spiritual care services can be provided scientifically to improve service delivery. It presents leading questions to link the scientific and compassionate approach to spiritual care. These include-What is science? What is compassion? What is spiritual care? What makes compassion and spiritual care scientific? Are there tenets of compassion in religions? How are compassion, science and spiritual care linked? What are the implications of the intersections for public health and safety? Hopefully, the provided answers may improve the service delivery performance of spiritual caregivers and their collaboration with healthcare professionals, social workers, and related groups., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest There are no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Informed Consent No qualitative or quantitative data and participants are required for this research., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This paper is a reflection on the word, "ministry" within the ministry of public health, and draws attention to the religious connotation to enunciate the breadth and depth of the ministry mandate in public health service, education and practice in developing countries., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest The authors have not disclosed any competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

AbstractPatients' spiritual views and, more generally, the meaning they feel in their lives is often, if not always, most important to them, especially when they have serious illness. Yet there are no standard requirements for providers to explore with patients their spiritual needs. Providers' views regarding their both taking initiatives to explore with patients needs and then to discuss with them their religious concerns if they want this vary widely. This piece explores, then, the extent to which providers should take these initiatives and, if they have this interest, whether as providers they should carry on these discussions or refer these patients, always, to clergy persons, as some providers adamantly advocate because they have expertise in this area that providers lack. This piece goes on to discuss whether providers believe they should have these discussions even when their patients' beliefs differ greatly from their own. In exploring this question, examples involving patients with Muslim, Hindu, and Christian beliefs are considered. Beliefs reported by some people from Germany and Israel regarding physician-assisted dying also are reported and compared, illustrating that patients' and people's beliefs cannot be reliably just inferred. Practical approaches, finally, are suggested.

The purpose of this study was to assess the association between nurse religiosity and decision to consult spiritual care services at a hospital in the western USA. An anonymous survey was distributed to assess nurses' reports of whether they would request spiritual care services across different scenarios. Out of 171 nurses approached to participate in this survey, fifty-one nurses completed the survey and half of respondents considered themselves religious. Compared to non-religious nurses, religious nurses reported greater likelihood to contact a chaplain across a variety of patient and family scenarios, including when a patient has a new diagnosis, is anxious or depressed, or has a challenging family situation., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest Ms. Spilman received compensation for her work as a medical writing and research consultant. All other authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. Suggested Reviewers Ron Harvell, Charleston Southern University, rharvell@scuniv.edu, Joseph Ensign, University of Washington, bjensign@uw.edu, Faith Strunk, UT Houston, faith.a.strunk@uth.tmc.edu, Wendy Cadge, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, wcadge@brandeis.edu., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This issue commences with a bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited articles on religion. It then presents the first of a two-part series relating to research from Poland and progresses to examine the relevance of religion and spirituality to public health. Finally, this issue revisits the long-established and productive discipline of healthcare chaplaincy and various factors relating to parish clergy. A new theme of mindfulness and prayer is also introduced., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest The authors have not disclosed any competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Copyright of Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria is the property of Thieme Medical Publishing Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Bioetica is the property of Conselho Federal de Medicina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

During the Elamite Middle Ages (around the mid-second millennium BC) in the city of Susa in Iran, the remnants of a naked young female figurine with a wide pelvic cavity which has kept its breasts with two hands have long left scholars to think about its identity and functions. The naked figurines which were scattered on the grounds in the alleys and streets were known as The Urban Figurines. The lab research proved that they were broken intentionally. Despite a lot of research done on their identity and functions, they have remained a mystery. This article, which is field research, by doing library studies, has attempted to study the function(s) of figurines assumed in archeology, religion, and medicine. The vertical line on the abdomen of the figurines without any abdomen protrusion can symbolize a mother in labor. This feature differentiates these figurines from other naked ones. Furthermore, the presence of this figurine along with Sin god, or the god of moon, which symbolizes giving a hand to women in difficult labor, which was also observed on the seals impression discovered in Susa Zone, leads us to the hypothesis that these Naked Elamite figurines could be a talisman to facilitate the delivery. The figurines were broken by exorcists during the rituals held to repel evil forces which caused the delay in labor. Some parts of the broken figurine were buried in the walls of the public places and some other parts were offered to the temples of the indigenous goddesses, such as Pinengir and Kiririsha.

Cure-seekers, Saints, Miracles, Religion and medicine, Miracles, Medieval England Saints, Cure-Seekers and Miraculous Healing in Twelfth-Century England. By focusing on the minutiae of this limited set of I miracula i , Salter has thus achieved a useful study of "the place of healing miracles within the broader remit of medieval healthcare" (p. 213). [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Introduction The university period is often characterized as a critical period of vulnerability for smoking habit initiation. Objective The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between religiosity and smoking among undergraduate students on health sciences courses. Methods A total of 336 students on four health sciences courses (occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutrition, and physiotherapy) completed a cigarette smoking questionnaire along with the Duke University Religion Index. Results Smoking prevalence was 8.3% among females and 12.7% among males. Prevalence among students who do not have a religion, but do believe in God, was higher than among those who do have a religion (16.3 and 6.3%, respectively). Organizational religious activity has a significant effect on smoking status. Conclusion The students have health habits that are not only motivated by the technical knowledge acquired on their undergraduate courses, since there was a possible influence of social norms stimulated by religious institutions on their attitudes, knowledge and practices in health.

ObjectiveAlthough religion is expected to have a direct or indirect effect on various aspects of human life, information on the association between religion and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is inadequate. Hence, in this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical effect of religion on clinical outcomes in patients with AMI.MethodsA total of 2,348 patients with AMI who were treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled in the study, and they were categorized into two groups depending on their religious belief: religious and non-religious groups. The characteristics and clinical outcomes of both groups were compared.ResultsCompared with the religious group, the non-religious group was younger, included mostly men, was more likely to smoke, and was more likely to be diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. However, the non-religious group was less likely to have a history of hypertension and tended to receive PCI more quickly with shorter door-to-balloon time. Regarding 1-year clinical outcomes, no differences were found between the two groups.ConclusionDespite a growing body of evidence that religious activities have positive effects on human physical health, our results showed a lack of significant differences in 1-year clinical outcomes in patients with AMI irrespective of their religious beliefs.

Background: Recently, the concept of expanded terminal sedation emerged to describe using sedation at the end of life in cases beyond the usual use. Using this sedation could be a stressful ethical encounter for healthcare providers., Case: In this paper, we describe a case of a Muslim palliative care nurse who cared for a patient with cancer who requested expanded terminal sedation. The palliative care nurse described that his initial response to the expanded terminal sedation order was refusing to start the sedation because he believed the patient was not terminally ill and was concerned about killing him, which is prohibited according to his religious beliefs. Further, the nurse perceived the patient's psychological distress and his verbalization of wishing to die peacefully as a concealed request for euthanasia, especially since he was not imminently dying. Finally, the nurse reported being frustrated and uncertain about the care, especially since he did not receive appropriate psychological counseling from professional personnel., Conclusions: any case beyond the usual conditions for terminal sedation should be carefully examined, especially when nurses' religious beliefs or moral values contradict it. If sedation should be administered, adequate preparation of healthcare providers should be arranged, including discussing with them the goals of care and the rationale for sedation before and after initiating it. Generating a policy for conscientious objections, allowing nurses to express their own emotions and concerns in a supportive environment are suggested approaches to preserve their wellness., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Written informed consent for publication of clinical details was obtained from the participant. A copy of the consent form is available for review by the Editor of this journal. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Informed consent: was obtained from participants., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the most prevalent and preventable chronic diseases in the 21st century The global burden of disease: 2004 update. The Report in Sections. A person's risk of developing CVD can be reduced by adopting healthy lifestyles, spiritual and religious practices The American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 in African Americans of the Jackson Heart Study. Fasting as a spiritual practice is not exempted from these benefits. Most world's religions recommend a period of fasting. The obligatory Ramadan fasting in Islam may provide an interesting opportunity to reduce food intake and increase physical activity. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of Ramadan fasting on cardiovascular risk factors on healthy adult Muslims., Method: The study was pre/post-test single arm intervention conducted at the staff clinic of Family Medicine department, AKTH, and Northwest, Nigeria. Kano. The study recruited healthy adults 18yrs and above not on any medications that can affect metabolic profiles consecutively from two weeks before Ramadan fasting of 2018 and the last week of Ramadan of the same year. The questionnaire included information on sociodemographic, clinical parameters and Lifestyle pattern., Result: Thirty healthy volunteers were included in this study, 25 males (83.3%) and 5 females (16.7%). The mean age was 38.23 ± 6.35(SD). Twenty-five participants were married (83.3%) with 4 singles (13.3%) and 1 divorcee (3.3%). During Ramadan fasting, weight reduced (67.90 ± 11.61 versus 66.53 ± 12.13 4th week of Ramadan p-value < 0.002) Body Mass Index (22.89 ± 3.63 versus 4th week of Ramadan 22.38 ± 3.64 p-value < 0.002) and systolic blood pressure (120.33 ± 19.91versus 4th week of Ramadan 115.33 ± 14.32 p-value 0.003) reduced significantly compared to baseline. The waist circumference, pulse rate, fasting blood sugar and cholesterol were reduced but were not statistically significant., Conclusion: The result from this study suggested that Ramadan fasting may be a useful means of reducing burden of cardiovascular diseases, as the improved cardiovascular risk factors associated with fasting may translate into a significant health benefit., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethical approval Ethical approval was obtained from AKTH Research and Ethics Committee. Reference (NHREC/21/08/2008/AKTH/EC/2224). All participants signed informed consent for the study. Consent for publication Not applicable. Clinical trial number Not applicable since no drugs were introduced. The intervention was religious practice fasting during Ramadan. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although a diversity of religions exists in South Korea, with Buddhism and Christianity (Protestantism and Catholicism) being the two main faiths, Korean beliefs are deeply rooted in Confucianism. Despite the notion that the Confucian norm of filial piety discourages body donation to medical science, there has been a mindset shift in favor of body donation, driven by a heightened awareness of the body bequest programs and the care and dignity accorded to the altruistic body donors, together with the institution of commemorative services to honor them. As spirituality and religion are known to be factors that influence body donation, how religious- and non-religious-based memorial services are held to honor the donors as exemplified by two Korean medical schools-from a public university with no religious affiliation and from a Protestant-based university-are described here. The key concept of expressing gratitude and respect for the donors and their family members has positively impacted body bequest programs in this multi-religious society. Commemorative services held to pay tribute to the altruistic body donors may play an important role in inspiring a humanistic spirit in students, regardless of religious or non-religious beliefs, as exemplified by the two Korean medical schools. The takeaway here is that the elevation of spirituality in memorial services effectively resonates with society, thereby demonstrating the impact of spiritual principles independent of religious influence., (© 2024 The Author(s). Anatomical Sciences Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)

The development of anatomy as a scientific undertaking appears to have left little room for religious and cultural input into the conduct of anatomical investigations. This has been brought to the fore by questionnaires regarding the willingness or otherwise of individuals to donate their bodies for dissection, with higher levels of willingness from those without religious affiliations. This has led to the assumption that there is inherent opposition to body donation by those with a religious stance, although there has been little exploration of this. This is increasingly important with growing awareness that anatomy is an international discipline, leading to increasing attention to the religious and cultural contexts within which it is practiced. There is a diversity of responses toward body donation within different countries, as well as by those influenced by Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Additionally, there are diverse cultural attitudes within Confucianism in Asia, Zulu in Africa, and Māori in New Zealand. Even those within the Christian church are influenced by a variety of values, some of which are in tension, with emphasis on the sacredness of life and the significance of burial being negative toward body donation, with informed consent and altruism pointing in a positive direction. The challenge for anatomists is to understand those within their communities, seek to appreciate their perspectives, and also make known the potential of body donation and dissection for enhancing medical practice and improving the education of future health workers., (© 2024 The Authors. Anatomical Sciences Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)