Examining Social Connections as a Link Between Religious Participation and Well-being Among Older Adults

Abstract

Social connections provided through religious participation are associated with subjective well-being in older populations. This study investigated how much of this association can be explained by other social connections, and whether these associations vary by age. A cross-sectional random-sample telephone survey was completed by 1,025 individuals over 55 years of age. The contribution of religious participation was examined using hierarchical multiple regression and ANCOVA analyses for the entire sample and for four age-specific groups: (1) 55–64, (2) 65–74, (3) 75–84, and (4) 85+. Religious participation was found to be a significant predictor of subjective well-being for the oldest and youngest groups.

• aging
• religion
• religiosity
• social connections
• well-being