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Associations between religiousness and the determinants of successful aging among 2,490 Brazilian community-dwelling
Juliane Piasseschi de Bernardin Gonçalves1, Homero Vallada1, Salma Rose Ribeiz2
1Departamento de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objectives:
Successful aging (SA) encompasses multidimensional health, cognitive, and social wellbeing in older adults. Nevertheless, religiousness is often overlooked as determinants of SA. This study investigates the association religioussness and SA among Brazilian older adults.
Method:
This cross-sectional study with 2,490 individuals aged above 60 years in São Paulo, Brazil, assessed sociodemographic data, 10 SA- determinants variables (grouped into healthy aging, active aging, and productive aging), and three religiousness dimensions: organizational (attendance), non-organizational (private practices), and intrinsic (religion as central to life). Logistic regression models explored associations between each religiousness dimensions and individual SA determinant, adjusting for confounders. A composite SA score (summing all determinants) was computed using linear regression.
Results:
The sample was predominantly female (62.7%), with a mean age of 69.6. Organizational and intrinsic religiousness were significantly associated with several SA determinants, including greater functional status, cognition, physical activity, mental health, and reduced substance use and medical services utilization. Non-organizational religiousness showed no significant associations. Overall, higher levels of organizational and intrinsic religiousness were positively associated with the composite SA score (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Organizational and intrinsic religiousness play a significant role in SA among Brazilian older adults. These findings support incorporating religiousness into models of SA and aging-related care strategies.
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