Life-Course Religious Attendance and Cognitive Functioning in Later Life (original) (raw)
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Research on Aging, 2020
Although several studies suggest that religious attendance is associated with better cognitive functioning in later life, researchers have generally failed to connect with any established life course perspectives or theories of cognitive aging. Building on previous work, we examine the effects of life course religious attendance on a range of cognitive functioning outcomes. We employ data from the religious life histories module of the 2016 Health and Retirement Study, a subsample of 516 adults aged 65 and older. Our key findings demonstrate that older adults who attended religious services for more of their life course tend to exhibit poorer working memory and mental status and better self-rated memory than older adults who attended less often. We contribute to previous research by reconceptualizing religious attendance as a cumulative life course exposure, exploring the effects of religious attendance net of secular social engagement, and examining a wider range of cognitive functioning outcomes.
Religious Attendance and Cognitive Functioning Among Older Mexican Americans
Research shows that social engagement reduces the probability of cognitive decline in late life. The purpose of this study was to test whether religious attendance, a major source of social engagement for many older individuals, is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline among older Mexican Americans. Using four waves of data collected from a sample of 3,050 older Mexican-origin individuals, we estimated a series of linear growth curve models to assess the effects of religious attendance on cognitive functioning trajectories. We used the Mini-Mental State Examination to measure cognitive functioning. Our central finding is that religious attendance is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline among older Mexican Americans. Specifically, respondents who attend church monthly, weekly, and more than weekly tend to exhibit slower rates of cognitive decline than those who do not attend church.
The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 2009
There is growing evidence that regular attendance at religious functions is associated with less cognitive decline (CD). However, little research has investigated factors that may moderate the religious attendance -CD relationship. The present study examined the effects of gender and depressive symptoms on the relationship between religious attendance and CD.
Impact of Religious Activities on Quality of Life and Cognitive Function Among Elderly
Journal of Religion and Health
Religiosity and spirituality have previously been found to have significant effects on mental and physical health. This study aimed to compare elderly people utilizing different types of religious activities in their daily routine and the effects upon their quality of life and cognitive function. A cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly people dwelling in suburban areas of Malaysia. The Malay version of Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Older Americans Resources and Services's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (OARS's IADL), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaires were used in this study. Independent t test was utilized to determine the difference in the quality of life and the cognitive function between groups of elderly people that were categorized based on their level of participation in different religious activities. The study involved 432 participants. The mean score for all domain of SF-36 was significantly higher among those who engaged in the religious activities as compared to those elderly who were either less engaged or did not practice religious activities. The mean score of GDS-15, OARS's IADL, and MoCA was also significantly higher among those who participated in religious activities. There was a significant impact on the quality of life and cognitive function among elderly people practicing religious activities. This study proved the importance of practicing religious activities among the elderly in achieving healthy aging.
PL0S ONE, 2022
We used prospective data (spanning 8 years) from a national sample of older U.S. adults aged > 50 years (the Health and Retirement Study, N = 13,771) to evaluate potential factors that lead to subsequent religious service attendance. We applied a lagged exposure-wide epidemiologic design and evaluated 60 candidate predictors of regular subsequent religious service attendance. Candidate predictors were drawn from the following domains: health behaviors, physical health, psychological well-being, psychological distress, social factors, and work. After rigorous adjustment for a rich set of potential confounders, we observed modest evidence that changes in some indices of physical health, psychological well-being, psychological distress, and social functioning predicted regular religious service attendance four years later. Our findings suggest that there may be opportunities to support more regular religious service attendance among older adults who positively self-identify with a religious/spiritual tradition (e.g., aid services for those with functional limitations, psychological interventions to increase hope), which could have downstream benefits for various dimensions of well-being in the later years of life.
Religiousness and Longitudinal Trajectories in Elders' Functional Status
Research on aging, 2008
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of religiousness on the trajectories of difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs) in community-dwelling older adults over a three-year period. Seven waves of data from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging were analyzed using a hierarchical linear modeling method. The study was based on the 784 participants who completed interviews every six months between December 1999 and February 2004. Frequent religious service attendance was associated with fewer ADL difficulties and IADL difficulties at baseline. Furthermore, religious service attendance predicted slower increases for frequent churchgoers and steeper increases for less frequent churchgoers in IADL difficulties, controlling for variables related to demographics and resources. Religious service attendance was independently associated with ADL and IADL difficulties cross-sectionally. However, significant protective effect...
Does Religious Attendance Prolong Survival? A Six-Year Follow-Up Study of 3,968 Older Adults
The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 1999
Background. The purpose of the study was to examine religious attendance as a predictor of survival in older adults. Methods. A probability sample of 3,968 community-dwelling adults aged 64-101 years residing in the Piedmont of North Carolina was surveyed in 1986 as part of the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) program of the National Institutes of Health. Attendance at religious services and a wide variety of sociodemographic and health variables were assessed at baseline. Vital status of members was then determined prospectively over the next 6 years (1986-1992). Time (days) to death or censoring in days was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results. During a median 6.3-year follow-up period, 1,777 subjects (29.7%) died. Of the subjects who attended religious services once a week or more in 1986 (frequent attenders), 22.9% died compared to 37.4% of those attending services less than once a week (infrequent attenders). The relative hazard (RH) of dying for frequent attenders was 46% less than for infrequent attenders (RH: 0.54, 95% CI 0.48-.0.61), an effect that was strongest in women (RH 0.51, CI 0.43-0.59) but also present in men (RH 0.63,95% CI 0.52-0.75). When demographics, health conditions, social connections, and health practices were controlled, this effect remained significant for the entire sample (RR 0.72,95% CI 0.64-.81), and for both women (RH 0.65,95% CI 0.55-o.76,p<.OOOI)and men (RH 0.83, 95% CIO.69-1.00,p=.05). Conclusions. Older adults, particularly women, who attend religious services at least once a week appear to have a survival advantage over those attending services less frequently.
Religious Attendance and Biological Risk: A National Longitudinal Study of Older Adults
Journal of Religion and Health, 2019
Although several studies suggest that religious involvement is associated with healthier biological functioning in later life, most of this work is cross-sectional. We extend previous research by employing a longitudinal design. Our analysis of Health and Retirement Study (2006/2010) data suggests that older adults who attended religious services weekly or more in 2006 tend to exhibit fewer high-risk biomarkers in 2010 and greater reductions in allostatic load over the 4-year study period than respondents who attended yearly or not at all. These patterns persisted with adjustments for baseline allostatic load and a range of background variables.