Religious service attendance and mortality among older Black men

Abstract

Religious institutions have been responsive to the needs of Black men and other marginalized populations. Religious service attendance is a common practice that has been associated with stress management and extended longevity. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between religious service attendance and all-cause mortality among Black men 50 years of age and older. Data for this study were from NHANES III (1988–1994). The analytic sample (n = 839) was restricted to participants at least 50 years of age at the time of interview who self-identified as Black and male. Mortality was the primary outcome for this study and the NHANES III Linked Mortality File was used to estimate race-specific, non-injury-related death rates using a probabilistic matching algorithm, linked to the National Death Index through December 31, 2015, providing up to 27 years follow-up. The primary independent variable was religious service attendance, a categorical variable indicating that participants attended religious services at least weekly, three or fewer times per month, or not at all. The mean age of participants was 63.6±0.3 years and 36.4% of sample members reported that they attended religious services one or more times per week, exceeding those attending three or fewer times per month (31.7%), or not at all (31.9%). Cox proportional hazard logistic regression models were estimated to determine the association between religious service attendance and mortality. Participants with the most frequent religious service attendance had a 47% reduction of all-cause mortality risk compared their peer who did not attend religious services at all (HR 0.53, CI 0.35–0.79) in the fully adjusted model including socioeconomic status, non-cardiovascular medical conditions, health behaviors, social support and allostatic load. Our findings underscore the potential salience of religiosity and spirituality for health in Black men, an understudied group where elevated risk factors are often present.

Holistic care in healthy aging: Caring for the wholly and holy human

“…Beyond allowing patients to feel heard and recognized as individuals, respecting and recognizing patients' spirituality has also been associated with better outcomes, such as improved quality of life (Balboni et al., 2010 ), as patients' beliefs are associated with decreased mortality (Bruce et al., 2022 ; Li et al., 2016 ). Conversely, not addressing spirituality and religion has been correlated with patient perception of poorer quality of life (Balboni et al., 2010 ; Vallurupalli et al., 2012 ), poorer quality of care, and lower satisfaction with care (Astrow et al., 2007 ).…”

“…While acknowledging the possible influence of covariates such as depression and smoking, the authors found that women who attended religious services more than once a week had 33% lower all‐cause mortality risk compared to those who never attended (Li et al., 2016 ). Another compelling example is from research on Black men in the United States, a historically burdened and marginalized group with shorter life expectancy compared to other demographic groups, which identified that more frequent participation in religious services had a 47% reduction in all‐cause mortality compared to peers without such involvement (Bruce et al., 2022 ).…”

Religiosity, Spirituality, Healthcare, and Aphasia Rehabilitation

“…One's religiosity may also be a potent variable (with mixed negative and positive associations) in diseases related to mortality, such as cancer (e.g., Almaraz et al, 2022;Elkhalloufi et al, 2022;Fradelos et al, 2018;Kugbey et al, 2020;Moorman et al, 2019;Thun e-Boyle et al, 2006;Thygesen et al, 2012;Van Ness et al, 2003) and cardiovascular disease (Brewer et al, 2022;Elhag et al, 2022;Seybold & Hill, 2001;Svensson et al, 2020). Factors associated with religiosity that may negatively affect mortality include delaying diagnosis of cancer (Moorman et al, 2019) and a reliance on an external locus of control (believing God controls health; Kinney et al, 2002), whereas the context of religious service attendance may have a positive effect on mortality (Bruce et al, 2022) Relatedly, one religious practice, fasting during Ramadan, has been shown to improve some aspects of the cardiovascular system (lipid profile, oxidative stress; Ahmed et al, 2022;Al-Shafei, 2014;Naz et al, 2022), although fasting is not recommended for all individuals due to some health concerns (Malinowski et al, 2019). Additionally, Stavrova (2015) and Ebert et al (2020) noted that any health and mortality benefits of religiosity across religions and cultures are limited to regions where religiosity is considered common and socially desirable; therefore, when considering the effects of reli-giosity on aspects of health, one should consider the acceptance of practices in their living context.…”