Religiosity Dimensions and Disability-Free Life Expectancy in Taiwan

Objectives: Eight years of panel data are used to investigate the association between three dimensions of religiosity and total and disability-free life expectancy (TLE/DFLE) in Taiwan. Method: Data come from the 1999 "Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging" (TLSA; N = 4,440; Age 55+). Dimensions of religiosity are public, private, belief, and coping. Mortality is linked to a national database. Disability is activities of daily living (ADLs). TLE/DFLE estimates use the Stochastic Population Analysis for Complex Events (SPACE) software. Results: Those who engage in public and private religiosity live longer and more years disability-free than others, but proportion of life disability-free does not differ across levels of religiosity. Coping is less associated with TLE and DFLE. Coping however associates with more years disabled among men. Findings are robust to model specifications. Discussion: The way in which religiosity associates with health depends upon the definition. When it does associate, religiosity increases TLE and DFLE proportionately.