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Aging, religiosity, and adjustment: a longitudinal analysis.

Journal of Gerontology

|September 1, 1983

Summary

Church attendance and private prayer were stable in older adults over 4 years, while religiosity rose. Only church attendance significantly boosted life satisfaction for Mexican-Americans and Anglos.

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Area of Science:

Gerontology
Sociology of Religion
Psychology of Aging

Background:

Religion and spirituality are often explored in relation to well-being among older adults.
Previous research suggests varying impacts of religious practices on life satisfaction across different demographics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the longitudinal relationships between church attendance, self-rated religiosity, and private prayer with aging.
To examine the effects of these religious measures on life satisfaction in older Mexican-Americans and Anglos.

Main Methods:

Utilized longitudinal data from older Mexican-American and Anglo participants over a 4-year period.
Assessed changes in church attendance, self-rated religiosity, private prayer, and life satisfaction.
Employed statistical analyses to determine the impact of religious practices on life satisfaction, controlling for other predictors.

Main Results:

Church attendance and private prayer demonstrated relative stability over the 4-year study interval.
Self-rated religiosity showed a slight increase among participants.
Church attendance was the sole religious measure significantly associated with life satisfaction for both ethnic groups.
The positive effect of church attendance on life satisfaction notably increased among Anglo participants during the study.

Conclusions:

Church attendance emerges as a key factor positively influencing life satisfaction in aging populations, irrespective of ethnicity.
While other religious practices show stability or slight increases, their direct impact on life satisfaction is less pronounced than active participation in religious services.
The findings highlight the enduring importance of religious community involvement for sustained well-being in later life.

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