Senior health, religion linked

People who are 65 or older tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives if they attend religious services more frequently than other seniors, two University of Maine researchers suggest.

Steven Barkan, professor of sociology, and Susan Greenwood, a lecturer in the UM sociology department, reported the results of their study in the December 2003 issue of Review of Religious Research, an academic journal published by the Religious Research Association.

The elderly tend to have more problems with health, well-being, loneliness, bereavement or mental illness than younger people, Barkan and Greenwood noted in their paper.

“For physical health, religious involvement has been linked to lower rates of a myriad of problems,” their report says, “including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and even mortality.”

Several reasons may account for the presumed link between religious activity and improved mental or physical health including increased social ties, which can provide emotional and practical support in the face of personal problems.

“For mental health, religious activity involvement has been linked to higher levels of psychological well-being, such as life satisfaction and happiness and to lower rates of mental health problems.”

It also encourages physical activity, and the values generally endorsed in religious organizations promote healthy lifestyles and discourage risky behavior.

The Barkan and Greenwood study is based on a generalized random sample of seniors from throughout the United States, using information from the General Social Survey, a national poll taken of seniors either annually or biennially since 1972.

The paper by Barkan and Greenwood is based on random samplings of seniors from throughout the United States, with results that can be applied to seniors nationwide. More generally, the report says, in times of personal crisis, people who can turn to their religious faith may be better able to weather bad times.

For information, contact Barkan at 581-2383 or Greenwood at 581-2394.

– Compiled from information by University of Maine Public Affairs