FIGURE 10.9 Predictors of longer life: Not smoking, frequent exercise, and regular religious attendance One 28-year study followed more than 5200 adults (Oman et al., 2002; Strawbridge, 1999; Strawbridge et al., 1997). After adjusting for age and education, the researchers found that not smoking, regular exercise, and religious attendance all predicted a lowered risk of death in any given year. Women attending weekly religious services, for example, were only 54 percent as likely to die in a typical study year as were nonattenders.