Factors Related to Attitudes Toward Death among American and Chinese Older Adults

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between five dimensions of attitude toward death (fear of death, death avoidance, neutral acceptance of death, approach acceptance of death, and escape acceptance of death) and three selected personal factors (spirituality, emotional support, and religiosity) among American and Chinese older adults. A total of 178 older adults consisting of 91 Americans living in Columbus, Ohio, and surrounding suburban areas, and 87 Chinese living in Taipei, Taiwan, participated in this study. Among Americans, the results reveal that spirituality influences both fear and avoidance of death attitudes, and that spirituality and religiosity contribute to both approach acceptance and escape acceptance of death attitudes. Among Chinese, spirituality influences fear of death attitudes and religiosity influences approach acceptance of death attitudes. For both American and Chinese subjects, neutral acceptance death attitude is not influenced by any selected personal factors and emotional support fails to demonstrate a significant relationship with any death attitude. American and Chinese older adults derive their spirituality in different ways, and their respective religious faiths contribute differently to their attitudes toward death. However, this study clearly indicates that, despite cultural differences, both populations demonstrate that spirituality factor influences the negative dimensions of death attitudes (fear of death and avoidance of death) and the religiosity factor influences the positive dimension of death attitude (acceptance of death).