Gender differences in religiosity and functional health in the elderly

Abstract

This secondary analysis of a random, community survey of 271 people over 65 years old examined gender differences in religious coping, importance of faith, and frequency of prayer for their relationship on eight categories of functional physical and mental health, as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey Short-Form 36. Mental health was the only outcome related to the spiritual indices for both genders but used differently. Frequency of prayer, a behavioral indicator, was positively related to mental health for men. Reliance on religious coping and a high importance of one's faith were positively related to mental health for women. The results indicated that cognitive coping responses were associated with lower anxiety and depression for women, whereas behavioral spiritual responses were the relevant variables for male mental health in this sample of elders.