Man is a creature in search of meaning. Depending on one’s upbringing and environment, one finds this meaning in religion, science, philosophy and art. Unlike science, philosophy and art, religion finds answers to two fundamental questions that people consciously or unconsciously ask in their minds. These questions are “why do I exist?” and “what will I become?”.
Could the fact that people turn to religion also be related to the longevity of religious people? Take for example the basic personality traits of cautiousness and agreeableness. People who have these traits in their personalities tend to adjust their behavior according to the requirements of a task and the wishes, feelings and needs of those around them. It is therefore not surprising that religiosity is associated with these two personality traits. However, the same personality traits are also associated with better health behavior. On the other hand, commitment to social institutions such as marriage, family, community, work and religion may also lead to an increase in self-control throughout life, i.e. cautiousness and agreeableness in terms of personality traits. In this respect, it is important to understand the interaction of religiosity with these variables when examining its relationship with longevity.1
Religiosity has been the subject of research in terms of the frequency of attending places of worship and participating in collective religious rituals, in terms of compliance with moral principles, and in terms of avoiding harmful habits and engaging in good health behaviors.
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