Religious Attendance Research Articles

Religious Involvement and the Impact on Living Alone and Depression: An Examination of Gendered Pathways Post-Widowhood.

This study analyzed data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the association between widowhood and depression. The results revealed that both men and women experienced increased depression after widowhood, with women exhibiting a better recovery pattern over time. Religiosity, especially attending religious services, was found to be a beneficial coping mechanism for both genders, although men were less religious than women. Living alone was a significant factor associated with depression in widowhood for both men and women. High religious service attendance moderated the association between living alone and depression for women, while both high and moderate religious service attendance moderated this association for men. These findings emphasize the importance of considering gender differences and the potential benefits of religious involvement in addressing depression during widowhood, highlighting the need for tailored interventions and support services for widows and widowers, particularly those living alone.

SPIRITUALITY, RELIGIOSITY AND HAPPINESS: IDENTIFYING THE NEXUS

Using data from 52 countries in Wave 5 of the World Value Survey conducted during 2004 and 2008, we test two alternative approaches in spirituality measures. The first is based on the more traditional understanding that spirituality is associated with meanings, God, prayers/meditation and formal religions. The second is based on the common spiritual teachings of all the major religions that are summarized by the LIFE (Love, Insight or Wisdom, Fortitude and Engagement) framework proposed by Ho, LS (2014). Psychology and Economics of Happiness: Love, Life and Positive Living. Oxford: Routledge. It was found that this alternative approach, which focuses on the spiritual teachings rather than theology, offers better explanatory power for Total Life Satisfaction (TLS). An interesting finding is that under this specification the coefficient on meaning turned negative, suggesting that those whose lives are weak in Love, Insight, Fortitude and Engagement have yet to find meaning and are less happy. Through a series of stepwise regressions, we conclude that more spiritual people are indeed happier (H1); that religious people indeed tend to be happier mainly because religious people tend to be more spiritual (H2); that the essence of spirituality and meaning lies in Love, Insight, Fortitude and Engagement (H3). These virtues are all grounded on transcending the narrow self and on a “reverence for Life” as propounded by Schweitzer. Finally, religious attendance does promote happiness. The effect is small but stable and statistically significant. It may have to do with the social network this offers (H4).

Practice What You Preach: Complicating the Relationship among Christian Religious Identity, Abortion Attitudes, and Reported Abortion Experiences among Canadians

Abortion providers often report having patients who describe abortion as immoral, even while accessing abortion care. According to these anecdotes, antiabortion identities, frequently depicted as tied to religious identities, are not necessarily reflected in individuals’ lived experiences. Yet social science research and political rhetoric tend to suggest a straightforward connection between religion and antiabortion beliefs and practices. The authors ask, does religion have a greater impact on attitudes toward abortion than on personal decisions to terminate one’s own pregnancy? Using an original survey of Canadian women ( n = 1,181), the authors examine religious affiliation and attendance, abortion attitudes, and self-reported abortion experience. Religious affiliation and attendance predict abortion attitudes to a greater extent than they predict abortion behavior. The authors use Burke’s concept of polysemic categories to argue that personal meanings of religious affiliation may be more salient for attitudes toward abortion than for the personal decision to access abortion care.

Religion, spirituality, and pediatric mental health: a scoping review of research on religion and spirituality in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from 2000 to 2023.

Religion and spirituality (R/S) serve as sources of meaning-making and coping for many individuals and families. While research on the relationship between R/S and mental health has been ongoing, their role in pediatric mental health is poorly understood. The objective of this study is to assess research trends and predominant themes of R/S in child and adolescent psychiatric research in articles published in the Journal of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). This provides a rough measure of the relative importance of these topics to academic psychiatrists and researchers in the field and identifies gaps for future research. All research and review articles published in JAACAP between 2000-2023 with a focus on R/S themes were retrieved, screened, and appraised for content and extent of focus on R/S (major, minor, incidental). Included articles were assessed for R/S variables and predominant themes. Thirty-two (32) research articles published between 2000-2023 contained sufficient R/S content for inclusion in our study. Only 4 articles had R/S as their major focus. Our analysis suggested a decline in publications with R/S content over the last 24 years. The R/S variables and measurement tools were heterogenous, with religious attendance and religious affiliation being the most frequently measured variables. The predominant themes include the relationships between R/S and psychopathology, suicide, utilization of services, conceptualization of illness, trauma, identity, and coping. Despite the significance attributed to R/S by many youths and families and the increasing academic interest in the intersection between R/S and health, a significant gap exists in our understanding of R/S vis-à-vis child and adolescent mental health. This gap may be further compounded by the limited attention offered to R/S factors and variables in academic psychiatric activities. JAACAP, a global leading academic platform, may advance this discourse by inviting and encouraging publications addressing R/S variables. This may inform diagnostic, preventive, and interventive clinical work with children and their families.

Does faith matter? An analysis of the effect of religious attendance on job search motivation among young Brazilians

Resumo A literatura recente aponta os efeitos benéficos da religiosidade sobre o enfrentamento de estressores associados ao mercado de trabalho, servindo como um canal de apoio social e psicológico. Contudo, pouco se sabe a respeito de como e até que ponto as crenças e as práticas religiosas influenciam os valores, opiniões, percepções e atitudes sociais do segmento juvenil. Diante disto, este artigo tem como objetivo compreender a importância da intensidade da prática religiosa sobre a motivação de busca por trabalho de jovens brasileiros, usando dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) de 2013. Para tanto, adotou-se uma estratégia empírica baseada no modelo de regressão estendida (ERM), mais especificamente o probit com tratamento endógeno ordinal. Em grosso modo, as estimativas apontam que a religião melhora o incentivo de sair da total inatividade e procurar um engajamento ocupacional, mesmo em jovens que estão parcialmente dedicados aos estudos. Os resultados apontam um efeito crescente da intensidade religiosa na busca por emprego vis-à-vis a inatividade. Estima-se um efeito de tratamento médio de engajamento no mercado de trabalho de 28,7 pontos percentuais (p.p.) para jovens com frequência moderada e 61,3 p.p. para aqueles com alta participação nas atividades religiosas. Os resultados favorecem a hipótese que a frequência em práticas religiosas pode não apenas ser alívio de condições adversas, mas também um canal de estímulo na procura por emprego por parte dos jovens.

Faithfully Gendered? How Religious Attendance Shapes Views of Women’s Leadership in Politics and Business Cross-Nationally

Faithfully Gendered? How Religious Attendance Shapes Views of Women’s Leadership in Politics and Business Cross-Nationally

Demographic and socioeconomic predictors of religious/spiritual beliefs and behaviours in a prospective cohort study (ALSPAC) in Southwest England: Results from the offspring generation.

We explored associations between possible demographic and socioeconomic causes of religious/spiritual beliefs and behaviours (RSBB) in the offspring generation of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). We examined approximately 4,450 offspring aged 28 years with RSBB data from a prospective birth cohort study (ALSPAC) in Southwest England. Three RSBB outcome measures were assessed: religious belief (belief in God/a divine power; yes/not sure/no), religious affiliation (Christian/none/other) and religious attendance (frequency of attendance at a place of worship). We explored age- and sex-adjusted associations between 35 demographic and socioeconomic exposures and each of the three RSBB outcomes using multinomial regression. Exposure-sex interactions were also examined. Some sociodemographic factors were associated with RSBB in this cohort; for instance, being female and from an ethnicity other than White were associated with increased religiosity across all domains. For many other exposures, however, associations were frequently null or inconsistent, often depending on the specific exposure and outcome combination. As an example, higher educational attainment was associated with higher rates of religious attendance, but not with religious belief or affiliation; in contrast, higher income was associated with lower levels of religiosity. No consistent interactions between sex and the exposures on RSBB were found. Effect sizes were also rather weak, with most pseudo- R 2 values below 0.5% and a maximum of 1.2%. The results highlight that several demographic and socioeconomic factors are associated with RSBB in this cohort. However, the number of these associations, and their magnitude, is smaller than comparable results from the parental generation of these offspring, suggesting that patterns of sociodemographic factors associated with RSBB differ between these generations. In addition to describing these associations, this paper will help inform future studies using these data, particularly regarding the choice of potential sociodemographic confounders.

ASSOCIATION OF RELIGIOUS ATTENDANCE, RELIGIOSITY/SPIRITUALITY, AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN MIDDLE TO OLDER ADULTS IN THE U.S

Abstract Elevated levels of C-reactive Protein (CRP), a biomarker of systemic inflammation, are associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Religious attendance and religiosity/spirituality are associated with better cognitive health, yet the underlying physiological mechanisms are not well understood. We examined the association between religious service attendance, religiosity/spirituality, and CRP levels in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 50 years and older (n=6,652) from the Health and Retirement Study from 2006 to 2014. The mean age was 70.7(9.32) years, 84.4% were White, 58.4% were female, and mean CRP levels were 3.98 (8.50) ug/mL. Utilizing the generalized estimating equation (GEE), a significant negative association was found between religious service attendance and religiosity/spirituality with average CRP levels, even after controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, race/ethnicity, income, body mass index (BMI), and health conditions (diabetes, cancer, hypertension) [B: -0.39, 95% CI:-0.76,-0.03, p<0.034 and B: -0.04, 95% CI:-0.07,-0.01, p<0.01]. Age, income, and education were negatively associated with CRP levels, while being female, Black/African American, having diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and BMI were positively associated with CRP levels. Findings contribute to our understanding of a possible mechanism by which religious service attendance and religiosity/spirituality influence cognitive health through reduced systemic inflammation. Interventions are needed to sustain religious attendance supporting religiosity/spirituality for adults who find religion/spirituality important, with the potential to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

RELIGIOUS ATTENDANCE AND SLEEP QUALITY IN US OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Sleep is an important proponent of memory, learning, and cognitive processing with changing patterns throughout the life course; poor sleep contributes to cognitive decline and dementia risk. Spiritual and religious activities are associated with better cognitive health, yet the biological mechanism is not well understood. This study aims to investigate whether religious and spiritual activity is associated with sleep quality in U.S. adults. Data were drawn from a U.S. longitudinal survey of a national probability sample, Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), from MIDUS Wave 2 (2004-2006), and MIDUS refresher (2011-2014). We examined cross-sectional associations between self-reported religious service attendance measured with 1 item (high, low religious attendance) and sleep quality measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (n=1,168) across three adult age groups (early, middle, late). We adjusted for sex, education, marital status, BMI, and smoking. Higher religious service attendance was significantly associated with better sleep quality among older adults (aged 60 – 80 years) (B=-1.02, p=0.011), while associations in young (aged 20-40 years) (B=-0.76, p=0.087) and middle-aged adults (aged 40-60 years) (B=-0.54, p=0.061) were marginal. Religious service attendance may contribute to better sleep quality amongst older adults by providing a sense of purpose and reducing feelings of helplessness and a sense of loss of control associated with aging. In addition, religious attendance is associated with decreased depressive symptoms and anxiety, possibly contributing to greater spiritual well-being and promoting better sleep. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine these associations over time.

RELIGIOSITY, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, AND COGNITIVE STATUS AMONG BLACK AND WHITE MEN WITH SIMILAR INCOMES

Abstract Black men experience multiple stressors linked with cognitive impairment and have higher risks for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias than their White peers. Yet, few studies have focused on coping resources. Religious beliefs and institutions are thought to have health benefits; however, no study to our knowledge has examined religious practices or beliefs and their association with cognitive impairment disparities among Black and White men. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between religious practices and/or beliefs and cognitive status among Black and White men in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Data were drawn from Black and White men who reported incomes at or below $50,000 and completed the Core and Leave Behind Questionnaires in the 2016 HRS. The primary outcome was any cognitive impairment, a dichotomous variable derived from a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). Religious service attendance, private prayer frequency, and religious beliefs were the primary independent variables. The proportion of Black men was 24.2% and had a larger proportion of individuals with any cognitive impairment than their White peers (47.2% vs 29.4%). Results from race-stratified Modified Poisson Regression models indicated that occasional religious service attendance was beneficial for White men (PR=0.68, CI:0.52-0.89) while private prayer (PR=0.71, CI:0.52-0.98) and religious beliefs (PR=0.90, CI:0.83-0.97) were inversely related to any cognitive impairment among Black men. Full-scale studies of Black men with robust religiosity measures are needed to further examine the association between religious factors and cognitive functioning among this group.

CONCURRENT VISION AND HEARING IMPAIRMENTS, SOCIAL ISOLATION, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY: FINDINGS FROM THE NHATS

Abstract Sensory impairments are contributors to poor health for older adults, and the likelihood of having more than one sensory impairment increases with age. There has been little research on population-level associations of visual and hearing function with social and mental health. This study examined the associations between objectively measured hearing and vision impairment, social isolation, depression, and anxiety among older US adults. Using nationally representative data from the 2021 National Health and Aging Trends Study, we conducted cross-sectional analysis among adults aged >70 (n=2,520). Visual impairment (VI) was defined as distance (<20/40), near (<20/40), and/or contrast sensitivity (>1SD below mean) impairment. Hearing impairment (HI) was defined as a better ear pure-tone average >25 decibel hearing level. Respondents with VI and HI were identified as having dual sensory impairment (DSI). Social isolation was assessed by living arrangement, core network size, religious attendance, and social participation. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured with the PHQ-2 and GAD-2, respectively. Weighted sample characteristics showed that 25.53% of older adults had DSI. Logistic regression analyses revealed that, compared to those without HI or VI, older adults with DSI were more likely to report social isolation (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.12-2.60), have depression (OR=4.57, 95% CI=2.34-8.92), and anxiety (OR=2.65, 95% CI=1.36-5.17). Associations with DSI were stronger than for single impairments. All models controlled for age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, marital status, number of chronic conditions. Findings suggested that older adults experiencing DSI are at greater risk of having social isolation and emotional distress.

AGE AND COHORT TRENDS OF RACIAL/ETHNIC DIFFERENCE IN RELIGIOUS PARTICIPATION AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER AMERICANS

Abstract Religious involvement is an important way of maintaining social connectedness for older Americans. While large quantities of studies have explored age and cohort effects of religious participation separately, less is known about racial/ethnic disparities. Applying growth curve modeling to the 2004-2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N=134,734 person-years), the current study examines how religious attendance changes across the life course and among recent birth cohorts, as well as how exposure to immigration policy regimes (IPR) shapes Hispanic immigrants’ religious participation behaviors. Results suggest an overall reversed U-shape age trajectory with lower average levels and faster declines among more recent cohorts. Compared to White older adults, Black and Hispanic populations attend religious activities more frequently, but their attendance declines at faster rates in later life, leading to minimal White-Nonwhite differences in the oldest ages. However, Hispanic immigrants display significantly less decline in religious participation among more recent cohorts relative to Whites, although no similar trend is found between White and Black/native Hispanic older adults. Further analyses of Mexican Hispanic immigrants suggest that longer exposure to restricted IPR (since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, IRCA) is associated with increased religious attendance, but less restricted IPR (between 1964 and 1985) is associated with decreased religious participation net of age and cohort effects. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the civic engagement experiences of Hispanic immigrants against the context of immigration policy regimes.

I Am Young, Religious and/or Spiritual—Is It Beneficial to Me? Association of Religiosity, Spirituality and Images of God with Meaning in Life and Self-Esteem in Adolescents

Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) have been suggested to be positive factors in adolescents’ well-being and development. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of R/S and images of God with meaning in life and self-esteem in adolescents in a secular environment. A sample of Czech adolescents (n = 984, mean age 16.61, SD 1.21; 28% male) participated in an online survey. We measured religiosity, religious affiliation (Raf), religious attendance (Ratt), spirituality, images of God (IMG), meaning in life (ML), subdivided into components of presence (ML-P) and search (ML-S), and adolescents’ self-esteem (ASE). Religiosity, Raf, Ratt, and a higher level of spirituality were associated with ML-P, with odds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34–1.80) for spirituality to 1.88 (1.27–2.80) for church affiliation. ML-S was associated with religiosity, OR 1.41 (1.10–1.82), and spirituality, OR 1.73 (1.51–2.00). No associations were found for self-esteem. The combination of spirituality with Raf and Ratt led to associations with ML-P, ML-S, and ASE for those who were spiritual and affiliated/non-affiliated, with ORsof 2.14–6.00, as well as for those who were spiritual and attending/non-attending, with ORs of 1.84–4.84. Respondents who reported positive images of God were more likely to report an increase in ML-P, ML-S, and ASE, whereas those reporting negative images were more likely to report a decrease. Our findings suggest that R/S, in particular their mutual interactions with higher levels of spirituality and images of God, are associated with adolescent development and encourage the internalisation of R/S values among youth.

TRANSMISSION OF RELIGIOSITY BETWEEN GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDCHILDREN AS A BASIS FOR ELDERCARE RESPONSIBILITY

Abstract Different branches of research demonstrate that religiosity is effectively transmitted from grandparents to grandchildren and that religiosity strengthens norms of eldercare responsibility. This paper unites these two branches of inquiry by proposing that eldercare norms in emerging adulthood are directly and indirectly formed through an intergenerational religious pathway. Data derive from 149 grandparent-grandchild dyads from the 2021-22 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Generations. Religiosity is defined as a composite consisting of self-assessments of religious importance, religious intensity, and religious service attendance. Eldercare norms are assessed based on an evaluation of the obligation that adult children should have to provide support and care to older parents in six areas of assistance. Intermediate factors include grandchildren’s familistic values and emotional closeness to grandparents. Structural equation modelling was used to examine direct and indirect pathways linking these factors. Results indicate significant continuity in religiosity between grandparents and grandchildren. The impact of grandchildren’s religiosity on their eldercare norms is fully mediated by their familistic values and emotional closeness with grandparents. This analysis reveals that the transmission of religiosity to grandchildren begets eldercare norms through an ideational route of strengthening values of familism, and a personal route of promoting closer, and possibly more empathetic, relationships with grandparents who have or may soon have support needs. Results demonstrate the “hidden” impact of religious orientations of older grandparents on grandchildren and serve as a counterpoint to potentially specious reports about the adverse impact of declining religiosity and weakening intergenerational cohesion on aging families in American society.

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SOCIAL FACTORS AND CHANGES IN RIDE-HAIL (UBER/LYFT) USE AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Previous research has observed low ride-hail (e.g., Uber) use among older adults and identified some factors related to use. However, uptake of technology changes quickly and pandemic-related factors (e.g., social distancing) may have affected ride-hail use. The Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) datasets include variables related to political and social views, behavior, religion, geography, internet use, and other factors that have not been previously assessed in relation to ride-hailing among older adults. ATP waves from 2015, 2018, and 2021 included questions about ride-hail use, and were assessed in this study. In 2015, 15.4% of all respondents and 4.5% of older adults reported having ever used ride-hailing. In 2018, the numbers had increased to 36.1% overall and 18.1% for older adults. In 2021, participants were only asked about ride-hail use during the past year, with 22.4% overall and 8.7% of older adults reporting ride-hail use. Separate logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with reporting ever using ride-hail services (2018) and having used ride-hailing during the past year (2021), among older adults. Higher odds of reporting any use (2018) were related to living in a metropolitan area, living in the US’s West, attending religious service monthly vs. never, high income, more liberal ideology, female gender, and volunteering. Higher odds of use during the past year (2021) were related to metropolitan area, male gender, more education, Hispanic ethnicity, divorced and single vs. married, unaffiliated vs Catholic religion, less frequent religious attendance, high income, and frequent internet use.

Religious Attendance, Childhood Trauma, and Later Life Depressive Symptoms

AbstractBackgroundOlder adults who experienced childhood trauma are at higher risk of developing depression. Depression is linked with structural changes in the brain and alterations in neurotransmitters and inflammation, placing individuals with depression at 2 times as likely to develop dementia than individuals without depression. A growing body of literature supports religion and spirituality as protective factors for mental health, yet few studies have examined the mediating role of religious attendance on the association between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms in later life. Identifying modifiable protective factors to decrease depression and, potentially, dementia is needed to decrease the growing dementia burden.MethodWe analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study in 2006‐2012 to examine the mediating role of religious attendance (in 2010) on the association of childhood trauma (in 2008) with later‐life depressive symptoms (in 2012) among older adults in the U.S. (N = 3,240) aged 60 years and older. A mediation analysis was conducted while controlling for covariates: sex, race, education, age, marital status, body mass index (BMI), and cognition.ResultAged 60‐104 years, participants had a mean age of 72.7 (8.45) years, were 57.9% female, and were 82.9% White. A significant association was found for childhood trauma using 4 self‐report items and self‐reported depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies‐Depression scale (CES‐D) (β = 0.2124, 95% CI [0.31, 0.1201], p<.001). There was a partial mediating effect of self‐reported religious attendance (high vs. low) between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms (β = 0.017, 95% CI [0.03, 0.003], p<.05) adjusting for sex, race, education, age, marital status, BMI, and cognition.ConclusionReligious attendance plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and later‐life depressive symptoms in older adults. Clinical trials are needed to further examine the effect of religious attendance on depressive symptoms in older adults with a history of childhood trauma, with the potential to decrease the risk of dementia.

Genetic endowments for social capital: An investigation accounting for genetic nurturing effects

Despite social capital having been shown to be important for health and well-being, relatively little research has examined genetic determinants. Genetic endowments for education have been shown to influence human, financial, and health capital, but few studies have examined social capital, and those conducted have yet to account for genetic nurturing. We used the Add-Health data to study the effect of genetic endowments on individual social capital using the education polygenic score (PGS). We used sibling fixed effects models and controlled for the family environment to account for genetic nurturing. After accounting for the family environment, we found moderately large significant associations between the education PGS and volunteering, but associations with religious service attendance and number of friends were completely attenuated in sibling fixed effects models. These findings highlight that genetic endowments play an important role in influencing volunteering and the importance of accounting for genetic nurturing.

Religion as a Determinant of Relationship Stability

AbstractThere is a burgeoning literature that investigates the effects of religion on relationship dissolution. This study is distinguished from prior scholarship in three broad areas: The investigation estimates the effect of religion on relationship stability using multiple measures of religious affiliation and religious observance; it is based on information of the respondent and their partner for both cohabiting and marital relationships; and it is performed using multiple waves of a large‐scale nationally representative panel data set, the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. It addresses key limitations, such as: the use of a single measure of religion, a tendency to only use married individual data, and an overreliance on cross‐sectional data. The results indicate that intrafaith couples tend to have a higher degree of relationship stability than other couple types; although, once other factors are controlled for, this effect is no longer statistically significant. We also find religiosity, in particular, religious attendance has a large positive effect on stability in intrafaith couples but can lower stability in interfaith and mixed couples.

Handedness and religiosity, a two-nation study: Evidence that hemispheric functioning may influence religious beliefs

Prior research has reported that so-called consistent-handers are more religious than non-consistent-handers. This study analyzed data bearing on this possibility using large samples of college students from two different countries; Malaysia and the United States. When samples from both countries were separated by sex, no significant support for this prior research was found. However, when we analyzed our data with handedness dichotomized between right-handers and non-right-handers, some significant relationships were found. Among females in both countries, left- and mixed-handers expressed lower degrees of certainty about the existence of God and life-after-death. Also, right-handedness and religious service attendance were positively and significantly associated among Malaysian males. Among US males, however, belief in God was actually significantly stronger among right-handers than among left and mixed-handers. Assuming that right handedness is a rough proxy for left hemispheric dominance, our findings provide some support for the hypothesis that right hemispheric dominance is associated with orthodox religiosity at least among females.

Dimensions of religiosity, sociodemographic indicators, and self-rated health in Brazilian adults and older adults

ABSTRACT Prevalence of the importance attributed to four dimensions of religiosity and its associations according to religious affiliation, religious attendance, sociodemographic, and health indicators, was investigated in a representative Brazilian population aged ≥50 years (N = 7,369). Results showed greater prevalence of non-Catholics and regular attendees of religious services attributing greater importance to all four dimensions of religiosity, while men conferred little importance to all of them. Greater importance was attributed to virtues and moral values by individuals with ≥1 year of education; to social belonging by non-Catholics and Pardos; and to existential meaning by Protestants and individuals with 1–8 years of education.