Linking Multi-Dimensional Religiosity in Childhood and Later Adulthood
Implications for Later Life Health
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21460802 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sara Hamm (0000-0003-3244-2543, Global Aging and Community Initiative, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS, Canada, corresponding author), Z Zimmer (0000-0002-3983-3021, Global Aging and Community Initiative, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS, Canada), Mary Beth Ofstedal (0000-0002-9395-1168, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 91-102 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Research on Aging (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0164-0275 • E-ISSN: 1552-7573 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01640275241267298 |
| PMID | 39089867 |
| OpenAlex | W4401279577 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
This study examines religiosity patterns across childhood and later adulthood and their associations with later-life health using an experimental module from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study ( N = 1649; Mean Age = 64.0). Latent class analysis is used to categorize individuals by commonalities in religious attendance, religious identity, and spiritual identity. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations are then explored using probable depression, disability, and mortality as health indicators. Results reveal complex patterns, often characterized by declining attendance and fluctuating identity. Relationships with health appear stronger in cross-sectional analyses, suggesting that some associations may be non-causal. Individuals with consistently strong religiosity show significantly better psychological health compared to their relatively non-religious counterparts. Moreover, the absence of religiosity in later adulthood is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Overall, the findings support the promotion of religiosity whilst acknowledging individual variations and highlighting the need for more individualistic approaches to the study of religion and health
Attendance · Church attendance · Developmental psychology · Early adulthood · Latent class model · Life course approach · Religiosity · Sociology · Young adult · Clinical Psychology · Demography · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Medicine · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology · Gerontology
Latent Class Analysis
Validation of the Eight-Item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Among Older Adults
Religion/spirituality and adolescent health outcomes
Religiosity and spirituality during the transition to adulthood
Target Article
Spirituality, religiosity, aging and health in global perspective
Religious Trajectories and Transitions Over the Life Course
Deciding on the Number of Classes in Latent Class Analysis and Growth Mixture Modeling
Studies of Illness in the Aged
The CES-D Scale
Life-Course Religious Attendance and Cognitive Functioning in Later Life
Does Childhood Religiosity Delay Death
Religion, Life Expectancy, and Disability-Free Life Expectancy Among Older Women and Men in the United States
Does Spirituality or Religion Positively Affect Mental Health? Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies
Shifts in religiosity across cohorts in Europe
What is self-rated health and why does it predict mortality? Towards a unified conceptual model
Meditation states and traits
Religiosity over the Life Course and Flourishing
Religious Practice
Gaining Faith, Losing Faith
Religious Attendance and Physical Health in Later Life
A Person-Centered Examination of Adolescent Religiosity Using Latent Class Analysis
Exploring the Dimensionality of 'Religiosity' and 'Spirituality' in the Fetzer Multidimensional Measure
Religious Consolation Among Men and Women
Age, period, and cohort effects on religious activities and beliefs
| Highly cited | No |
|---|