Recent research states that people with religious beliefs live around four years longer on average than those who don’t. Scientists at Ohio State University arrived at the figure after studying over 1,000 obituaries from across the U.S. Laura Wallace, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in psychology at Ohio State University, said: “religious affiliation had nearly as strong an effect on longevity as gender does, which is a matter of years of life.” According to researchers, the social aspect of being in a religious community could improve well-being leading to a longer life, in addition to the avoidance of unhealthy habits and vices, something that religion advocates.