The Telegraph and the Daily Mail (among many others) recently reported that religious people are less stressed, less anxious and take less sick days. This article is a great example of how not to report on a study and why more effort needs to be taken to make sure study details are reported with conclusions. Both the Telegraph and the Mail reported the findings of the survey with out supplying information on the study to put any of it in context. The result is a bias article that reports how religion is beneficial to a working, modern life.
A quick google search is all it takes to find a bit more information that helps put the articles in perspective. The survey was carried out by Dr Roxane Gervais from the Health and Safety Laboratory in Stockport. It turns out the results of the survey are based on 34 full time employees, all from the Caribbean. This already casts doubt on the validity of the findings as the results are drawn from a very, very small and isolated population. How do we know that some other factor about the religious people in this group isn't responsible for the reduced stress? We don't, because no controls are in place to account for other lifestyle factors.
A sentence as simple as, 'Dr Roxane Gervais surveyed 34 full time employees from the Caribbean', would have allowed the reader to look more critically at the findings.
Links: