Spirituality and Cognitive Health in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Britt Katherine, Dong Fanghong, Massimo Lauren, Hamilton Jill, Hodgson Nancy, Stites Shana, Mechanic-Hamilton Dawn
Primary Institution: The University of Pennsylvania
Hypothesis
How do spirituality and religiousness impact cognitive and functional health in older U.S. adults?
Conclusion
Greater spirituality is linked to better memory, while greater religiousness is associated with improved functional health in older adults.
Supporting Evidence
- Spirituality was positively associated with memory.
- Religiousness was positively associated with functional health.
- The study included cognitively unimpaired older adults.
Takeaway
Being more spiritual can help older people remember things better, and being more religious can help them stay healthy and active.
Methodology
Cross-sectional study using multivariable regression analysis on data from cognitively unimpaired older Black and White U.S. adults.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine causation.
Participant Demographics
27.8% Black, 64.6% women, mean age 74.4 years, mean education 16.7 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<.007 for spirituality and p<.046 for religiousness.
Confidence Interval
[0.05, 0.33] for spirituality and [0.01, 0.61] for religiousness.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website