Research suggests that both religiosity and spirituality positively influence psychological and physical well-being however, the pathway(s) through which religiosity and spirituality may affect physical health remains relatively unclear. This study will explore whether influence on immune functioning is one such pathway. The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important indicator of immune functioning in medically ill individuals. Elevated plasma IL-6 levels are associated with mortality and functional decline. Further, Cohen and colleagues (1997) have suggested that level of IL-6 may be considered an overall marker of health. Therefore, identifying factors that may protect people at risk for elevation of IL-6, such as the elderly and physically ill, is of paramount importance. The overall hypothesis of the proposed study is that spiritual well-being and religiosity play a protective role in the elevation of the proinflammatory cytokine, IL-6, among terminally ill cancer patients, and that this is one mechanism through which religiosity and spirituality affect health. This hypothesis will be tested in a group of patients will cancer. Religiosity, spirituality, depression, and cytokine levels will be assessed cross-sectionally and hypotheses will be evaluated with correlational analyses. ? ?
