LDS Members Die at Half the Rate of the Average American

The 14-year Enstrom-Breslow study of 9,844 active California LDS members found an all-cause standardized mortality ratio of 49 for men and 59 for women. The U.S. baseline is 100.

This means active LDS members die at roughly half the rate of the average American — even without filtering for strict health practice adherence. For the most health-adherent members, the ratio drops to 27 — a 73% reduction in middle-age mortality. Being an active member of this particular faith community is, by the data, one of the strongest health interventions documented.