The majority of doctors believe in God and attend religious services, and more than half say their religious beliefs affect how they practice medicine, a new survey has found.

Study author Dr. Farr A. Curlin of the University of Chicago in Illinois said he was “surprised” at the findings, given that previous studies have shown that scientists are less religious than the general population, and religious beliefs tend to diminish as education and income levels increase.

However, the field of medicine involves caring for others, and therefore may attract spiritual people, Curlin said. “Medicine, at its core, is a moral practice,” he noted.

For the study, Curlin and his colleagues mailed surveys about religious beliefs to 2,000 doctors practicing in the U.S. Sixty-three percent of doctors returned the survey.

Seventy-six percent said they believed in God, and 90 percent attended religious services at least sometimes, similar to rates reported by the general population. Fifty-five percent of respondents said that their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine, the researchers note in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Doctors were more likely than people in the general population to say they are spiritual but not religious, and to make decisions without relying on God, the survey found.

In an interview, Curlin said he suspected that religious beliefs may influence doctors when they encounter issues related to sexual and reproductive health, and when treating patients who are facing death, such as in end-of-life care.

In addition, doctors who are religious may respond differently to people who are depressed, or dealing with chronic pain, “if they make sense of that human experience in religious terms,” Curlin suggested.

He added that he and his colleagues are currently investigating how doctors’ religious beliefs may be influencing their practice.

SOURCE: Journal of General Internal Medicine, July 2005.