What Mediates the Relationship Between Religious Service Attendance and Aspects of Well-Being?

Abstract Widowhood is associated with decreased emotional well-being, particularly increased depression. Religiosity may help improve mental health among widowed individuals. However, longitudinal studies exploring the role of religiosity on emotional well-being among widowed older adults is lacking, as are studies which examine this relationship using different dimensions of religiosity. This study analyzed data from the 2006-2016 waves of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Trajectories of depression among older adults >50 years (N=5,486) were examined to explore patterns of depression among those entering widowhood and the potential impact of religiosity on depressive symptoms during widowhood. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was used to examine the association between widowhood and depression as well as the role of religiosity as a moderator of this association. Older adults experienced an increase in depressive symptomology after the onset of widowhood, and although the levels of depressive symptomology decrease post-widowhood, they do not return to their pre-widowhood levels. Additionally, high religious service attendance and higher intrinsic religiosity were both associated with lower depressive symptomology. High religious service attendance moderated the relationship between widowhood and depression. The relationship between high religious service attendance and depression was stronger among widowed older adults living alone. This study highlights the long-term effects of widowhood on depressive symptomology among older adults. The findings also suggest that higher religious service attendance can lessen the effects of widowhood on depressive symptoms, especially for those living alone. These findings may inform intervention development around increased screening and treatment for depression.

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Christian Nationalism and Views of Immigrants in the United States: Is the Relationship Stronger for the Religiously Inactive?

Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World ◽

10.1177/2378023120985116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 237802312098511

Author(s):

Samuel Stroope ◽

Heather M. Rackin ◽

Paul Froese

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

National Sample ◽

Religious Communities ◽

Religious Nationalism ◽

Religious Service ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

The Relationship ◽

Christian Nationalism ◽

Service Attendance

Previous research has shown that Christian nationalism is linked to nativism and immigrant animus, while religious service attendance is associated with pro-immigrant views. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between religious ideologies and practices when considering how religion affects politics. Using a national sample of U.S. adults, we analyze immigrant views by measuring levels of agreement or disagreement that undocumented immigrants from Mexico are “mostly dangerous criminals.” We find that Christian nationalism is inversely related to pro-immigrant views for both the religiously active and inactive. However, strongly pro-immigrant views are less likely and anti-immigrant views are more likely among strong Christian nationalists who are religiously inactive compared with strong Christian nationalists who are religiously active. These results illustrate how religious nationalism can weaken tolerance and heighten intolerance most noticeably when untethered from religious communities.

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EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGIOUS SERVICE ATTENDANCE, MENTAL DISORDERS, AND SUICIDALITY AMONG DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS: RESULTS FROM A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY

Depression and Anxiety ◽

10.1002/da.21978 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 29 (11) ◽

pp. 983-990 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Jennifer A. Robinson ◽

James M. Bolton ◽

Daniel Rasic ◽

Jitender Sareen

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Religious Service ◽

Representative Survey ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Relationship ◽

Service Attendance

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Depressive Symptoms and Loneliness Among Black and White Older Adults: The Moderating Effects of Race

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa048 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Harry O Taylor ◽

Ann W Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Religious Service ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

Black And White ◽

The Relationship ◽

Service Attendance

Abstract Background and Objectives Loneliness is consistently linked to worse depression/depressive symptoms; however, there are few studies that have examined whether the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms varies by race. The purpose of this study was to determine whether race moderated the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Research Design and Methods Data come from the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Core survey and Psychosocial Leave-Behind Questionnaire; only black and white older adults were included in the analysis (N = 6,469). Depressive symptoms were operationalized by the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression scale; however, the “felt lonely” item was removed given concerns with collinearity. Loneliness was operationalized using the Hughes 3-Item Loneliness Scale. Sociodemographic variables included gender, age, education, household income, employment status, marital status, and living alone or with others. Furthermore, social support and negative interactions from family members and friends, and religious service attendance were included in the analysis. Lastly, we created an interaction term between race and loneliness. All analyses used survey weights to account for the complex multistage sampling design of the HRS. Missing data were multiply imputed. Results In multivariable analysis, we found race significantly moderated the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms while controlling for sociodemographic covariates, social support and negative interaction variables, and religious service attendance. Discussion and Implications Our findings demonstrate a differential racial effect for loneliness and depressive symptoms. For both blacks and whites, greater loneliness affected depressive symptoms; however, the effect was stronger among whites than it was for blacks. Given this is one of the first studies to examine the differential effects of race on loneliness and depressive symptoms, more research is necessary to determine the consistency of these results.

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The association between religiosity and subjective well-being: the unique contribution of religious service attendance and the mediating role of perceived religious social support

The Irish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1080/03033910.2013.775071 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 49-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michael J. Doane

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Unique Contribution ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Religious Service ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Religious Social Support ◽

Service Attendance

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Religious-service attendance and subsequent health and well-being throughout adulthood: evidence from three prospective cohorts

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyaa120 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ying Chen ◽

Eric S Kim ◽

Tyler J VanderWeele

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Social Integration ◽

Lower Risk ◽

Well Being ◽

Religious Service ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Prospective Cohorts ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Service Attendance

Abstract Background Religious-service attendance has been linked with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, suicide and depression. Yet, its associations with other health and well-being outcomes remain less clear. Methods Using longitudinal data from three large prospective cohorts in the USA, this study examined the association between religious-service attendance and a wide range of subsequent physical health, health-behaviour, psychological distress and psychological well-being outcomes in separate cohorts of young, middle-aged and older adults. All analyses adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, prior health status and prior values of the outcome variables whenever data were available. Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple testing. Results Estimates combining data across cohorts suggest that, compared with those who never attended religious services, individuals who attended services at least once per week had a lower risk of all-cause mortality by 26% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65 to 0.84], heavy drinking by 34% (95% CI: 0.59 to 0.73) and current smoking by 29% (95% CI: 0.63 to 0.80). Service attendance was also inversely associated with a number of psychological-distress outcomes (i.e. depression, anxiety, hopelessness, loneliness) and was positively associated with psychosocial well-being outcomes (i.e. positive affect, life satisfaction, social integration, purpose in life), but was generally not associated with subsequent disease, such as hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. Conclusions Decisions on religious participation are generally not shaped principally by health. Nevertheless, for individuals who already hold religious beliefs, religious-service attendance may be a meaningful form of social integration that potentially relates to greater longevity, healthier behaviours, better mental health and greater psychosocial well-being.

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Exploring the Type-of-Crime Hypothesis, Religiosity, and Spirituality in an Adult Male Prison Population

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology ◽

10.1177/0306624x05274897 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 49 (6) ◽

pp. 682-695 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Anita Fernander ◽

John F. Wilson ◽

Michele Staton ◽

Carl Leukefeld

Keyword(s):

Religious Beliefs ◽

Prison Population ◽

Well Being ◽

Religious Service ◽

Spiritual Wellbeing ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

Criminal Conviction ◽

Spiritual Well Being ◽

Religiosity And Spirituality ◽

Service Attendance

This study examined the association between measures of spirituality and religiosity and characteristics of current criminal conviction in a male prison population. Spirituality was operationalized as spiritual well-being and existential well-being. Religiosity was operationalized as frequency of religious service attendance, whether an individual considered himself to be religious, and how strongly an individual believed his religious beliefs influenced his behavior. Inmates whose convictions were property related reported greater spiritual wellbeing, were more likely to consider themselves religious, and to say that religious beliefs influenced their behavior than inmates whose crimes were not property related. Inmates whose convictions were drug related were less likely to consider themselves religious, and inmates whose conviction involved violence were more likely to consider themselves religious but less likely to endorse statements that religious beliefs influenced their behavior. The distinction between religiosity and spirituality is discussed in terms of the type-of-crime hypothesis.

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Religious Service Attendance and Subjective Well-Being in European Countries

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science ◽

10.30845/ijhss.v10n12p19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Marco Ciziceno

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

European Countries ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Religious Service ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

Service Attendance

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Religious service attendance, health behaviors and well-being—an outcome-wide longitudinal analysis

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz075 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 1177-1183 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jakub Pawlikowski ◽

Piotr Białowolski ◽

Dorota Węziak-Białowolska ◽

Tyler J VanderWeele

Keyword(s):

Health Behaviors ◽

Panel Study ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Religious Service ◽

Prevention Policy ◽

Religious Service Attendance ◽

Unmeasured Confounding ◽

Unmeasured Confounder ◽

Service Attendance

Abstract Background Previous studies of relationship between religiosity, health behaviors and well-being have showed mainly positive relationships, however, are very often limited to results of associative nature and subject to unmeasured confounding. This study focused on evaluating evidence for a positive association between religious service attendance (RSA), health behaviors and well-being in a longitudinal setting and robustness of these associations to unmeasured confounding. Methods Three waves (2009, 2011 and 2015) of the biennial longitudinal Polish household panel study with response from 6400 respondents were analyzed. Evidence for a positive and robust association between RSA and outcome variables was evaluated using outcome-wide regression analysis with control of all variables temporally prior to the exposure and sensitivity measures (E-values) to give information on the extent to which an unmeasured confounder would need to be associated with both the exposure and the outcomes. Results RSA is associated with reduced risk of unhealthy behaviors (smoking, alcohol use) and higher emotional well-being. These relationships are robust to substantial unmeasured confounding and difficult to explain by reference to other, unknown, variables. Evidence for a positive relationship between RSA and other well-being variables (social, physical) was less clear. Conclusions Religiosity may play an important role in public health, particularly in prevention of non-communicable diseases. The strong and robust associations between RSA and some health behaviors (i.e. tobacco use, alcohol abuse) and emotional well-being should arguably be taken into account in health education, health promotion programs, health prevention policy and psychotherapeutic approaches, particularly in more religious populations.

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