Married couples who attend church together less likely to divorce, says Harvard study

Married couples who participate in church services together face lower probability to divorce, a new study carried out by a Harvard School of Public Health professor indicates.

Tyler J. VanderWeele, Ph.D., a professor of Epidemiology in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public Health and a faculty affiliate of the Institute of Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, led a research on the link between religious participation and one's health and well-being at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He shares the highlights from the study in an article posted on the official blog site of the Institute for Family Studies.

According to VanderWeele, one of their key findings is that religious participation is "associated with greater marital stability—or more specifically, with a lower likelihood of divorce." Couples who attend religious activities are 47 percent less likely to subsequently file for divorce than those who do not, and such is consistent with results of other similar studies, VanderWeele notes.

The research focused on middle-aged and older couples, but the professor stressed that other studies that had younger men and women as respondents yielded similar results.

The professor then explored possible explanations as to why religious attendance has a positive impact on a marriage. According to him, religious teachings usually discourage elements that often lead to divorce. For example, religion has a strong stand against adultery, which is often a prelude to separation.

Meanwhile, religious teachings espouse messages that help nurture a relationship. One such message is that marriage is something that is sacred, and such is reinforced every time a married couple attends a religious service together. Another is the emphasis on love and being responsive to others' needs, which are important elements in a marriage.

VanderWeele also highlighted that religious institutions basically provide married couples a good family support system in the form of programs for children, counseling, retreats, and workshops, as well as a venue to build relationships with other families. "Religious communities can provide important resources for a healthy marriage," he wrote.