Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for more information

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Journal of Aging and Health
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
0898264308317538v1
20/5/545    most recent
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van Ness, P. H.
Right arrow Articles by Fried, T. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van Ness, P. H.
Right arrow Articles by Fried, T. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Religion, Risk, and Medical Decision Making at the End of Life

Peter H. Van Ness, PhD, MPH

Yale University School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, peter.vanness{at}yale.edu

Virginia R. Towle

Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut

John R. O'Leary, MA

Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut

Terri R. Fried, MD

Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to present empirical evidence about whether religious patients are more or less willing to undergo the risks associated with potentially life-sustaining treatment. Methods: At least every 4 months 226 older community-dwelling persons with advanced cancer, congestive heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were asked questions about several dimensions of religiousness and about their willingness to accept potentially life-sustaining treatment. Results: Results were mixed but persons who said that during their illness they grew closer to God (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.15, 2.78) or those grew spiritually (OR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.03, 2.52) were more willing to accept risk associated with potentially life-sustaining treatment than were persons who did not report such growth. Discussion: Not all dimensions of religiousness have the same association with willingness to undergo potentially life-sustaining treatment. Seriously ill older, religious patients are not especially predisposed to avoid risk and resist treatment.

Key Words: religion • risk • medical decision making • end of life • aging

This version was published on August 1, 2008

Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 20, No. 5, 545-559 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0898264308317538
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 JAMAHome page
A. C. Phelps, P. K. Maciejewski, M. Nilsson, T. A. Balboni, A. A. Wright, M. E. Paulk, E. Trice, D. Schrag, J. R. Peteet, S. D. Block, et al.
Religious Coping and Use of Intensive Life-Prolonging Care Near Death in Patients With Advanced Cancer
JAMA, March 18, 2009; 301(11): 1140 - 1147.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]