Beyond church attendance: religiosity and mental health among rural older adults

Abstract

Data from 2 independent random samples of the population of community-dwelling older adults in eastern North Carolina are used to assess the effects of Christian religious subdimensions, including church attendance and participation, belief that religious faith affects health, and belief that prayer and God combine with medical treatment to cure illness, upon mental health. Self-reported religiosity in this population across dimensions is described and the effects of selected demographic characteristics upon religiosity are assessed. Lastly, the main effects of demographic characteristics, religiosity, and health status upon the mental health of respondents are explored. Findings suggest that Christian religious beliefs and practices are widespread in this mainly rural population and that females and African American elderly people are more likely than others to profess religious beliefs and to participate in church-related activities. Multivariate results suggest that reduced health status, including functional ability, combines with limited participation in church activities to result in poorer self-rated mental health and more symptoms of depression. The implications of the findings for the role of Christian religiosity in health and mental health are discussed.