Religion, Social Support, Food-Related Social Support, Diet, Nutrition, and Anthropometrics in Older Adults

Abstract

Religion is an important aspect of many people's lives, especially for older adults. However, very little data exists about the relationships between religion, food-related social support, diet, nutrition, and anthropometrics in older U.S. adults. Social support may be a possible mechanism for religion-diet/nutrition relationships. This analysis examined these relationships in a sample of 424 older individuals. Religion was related to some dietary behaviors in men, and in dietary behaviors and anthropometrics in women. Religion's relationship with anthropometrics as well as diet in women may have been due to women's greater religiousness and involvement in food acquisition, preparation, and distribution in religious gatherings.

KEYWORDS:

• religion
• food
• diet
• nutrition
• anthropometrics
• elderly
• social support

Notes

¹Three 7-ml tubes of blood were drawn from each subject by a trained phlebotomist. One tube contained ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) as an anticoagulant (Vacuntainer, Bectim-Dickinson, Rutherford, New Jersey) and was used for plasma separation. The second tube (evacuated serum separation tube, Vacutainer, Bectin-Dickinson) was centrifuged (Centrific model 228, Fisher Scientific, Fair Lawn, New Jersey) at 400 x g for 30 minutes to separate the serum from the remaining blood components. The third tube contained heprin. Because interviews took place at varying times in a day, it was not possible to obtain fasting blood samples.

The blood samples were maintained at a temperature below 4°C and shipped in Styrofoam mailing packs with extra padding by bus to a laboratory at Texas A&M University for analysis. Upon receipt, the serum was transferred to a labeled vial and stored at -30°C. The heparinized blood was centrifuged (IEC Central-7 Model Centra, International Equipment Company, Needham Heights, Massachusetts) at 400 x g for 15 minutes. The EDTA tubes were taken for analysis at St. Joseph's Hospital, Bryan, Texas.

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