IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i12p6112-d1169774.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do Purpose in Life and Social Support Mediate the Association between Religiousness/Spirituality and Mortality? Evidence from the MIDUS National Sample

Author

Listed:
  • Jennifer Morozink Boylan

    (Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217, USA)

  • Christianne Biggane

    (School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA)

  • Jonathan A. Shaffer

    (Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217, USA)

  • Caitlyn L. Wilson

    (Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217, USA)

  • Kaitlyn M. Vagnini

    (Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217, USA)

  • Kevin S. Masters

    (Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217, USA)

Abstract

We examined prospective associations between religiousness/spirituality (R/S; i.e., service attendance, R/S identity, R/S coping, spirituality) and all-cause mortality in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) sample, including whether having a purpose in life and positive social support are indirect pathways through which R/S predicts mortality. We examined service attendance and a composite of R/S identity, R/S coping, and spirituality from the baseline wave (1995–1996; n = 6120 with complete data), purpose in life and positive social support from the second wave (2004–2006), and vital status through 2020 (n = 1711 decedents). Cox regression models showed that attending religious services more than weekly and approximately weekly was associated with a lower mortality risk compared to never attending in the adjusted models (>weekly vs. never, HR (95% CI) = 0.72 (0.61, 0.85); weekly vs. never, HR (95% CI) = 0.76 (0.66, 0.88)). The R/S composite was also associated with lower mortality risk in the adjusted models (HR (95% CI) = 0.92 (0.87, 0.97)). Indirect effects from R/S to mortality via purpose in life and positive social support were significantly different from zero. These findings highlight the importance of multidimensional aspects of R/S for population health and point to purpose in life and positive social support as underlying pathways between R/S and mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer Morozink Boylan & Christianne Biggane & Jonathan A. Shaffer & Caitlyn L. Wilson & Kaitlyn M. Vagnini & Kevin S. Masters, 2023. "Do Purpose in Life and Social Support Mediate the Association between Religiousness/Spirituality and Mortality? Evidence from the MIDUS National Sample," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:12:p:6112-:d:1169774
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/12/6112/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/12/6112/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julianne Holt-Lunstad & Timothy B Smith & J Bradley Layton, 2010. "Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(7), pages 1-1, July.
    2. Reindl Benjamins, Maureen & Brown, Carolyn, 2004. "Religion and preventative health care utilization among the elderly," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 109-118, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis & Helder Fernando Pedrosa Sousa & Andreia de Moura & Lilian M. F. Viterbo & Ricardo J. Pinto, 2019. "Health Behaviors as a Mediator of the Association Between Interpersonal Relationships and Physical Health in a Workplace Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-9, July.
    2. Evans-Polce, Rebecca J. & Staff, Jeremy & Maggs, Jennifer L., 2016. "Alcohol abstention in early adulthood and premature mortality: Do early life factors, social support, and health explain this association?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 71-79.
    3. Santini, Ziggi Ivan & Jose, Paul E. & Koyanagi, Ai & Meilstrup, Charlotte & Nielsen, Line & Madsen, Katrine R. & Koushede, Vibeke, 2020. "Formal social participation protects physical health through enhanced mental health: A longitudinal mediation analysis using three consecutive waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in E," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    4. Ruta Clair & Maya Gordon & Matthew Kroon & Carolyn Reilly, 2021. "The effects of social isolation on well-being and life satisfaction during pandemic," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, December.
    5. Lena Lämmle & Alexander Woll & Gert B. M. Mensink & Klaus Bös, 2013. "Distal and Proximal Factors of Health Behaviors and Their Associations with Health in Children and Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-35, July.
    6. Fernando L Vázquez & Patricia Otero & J Antonio García-Casal & Vanessa Blanco & Ángela J Torres & Manuel Arrojo, 2018. "Efficacy of video game-based interventions for active aging. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-24, December.
    7. Valéria Teresa Saraiva Lino & Nádia Cristina Pinheiro Rodrigues & Mônica Kramer de Noronha Andrade & Inês Nascimento de Carvalho Reis & Lucília Almeida Elias Lopes & Soraya Atie, 2019. "Association between visual problems, insufficient emotional support and urinary incontinence with disability in elderly people living in a poor district in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: A six-year follow-up," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-12, May.
    8. Regina Kuppen & Mirjam de Leede & Jolanda Lindenberg & David van Bodegom, 2023. "Collective Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases in an Ageing Population with Community Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Joanne Brooke & Maria Clark, 2020. "Older people’s early experience of household isolation and social distancing during COVID‐19," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(21-22), pages 4387-4402, November.
    10. Qin Xiang Ng & Kuan Tsee Chee & Michelle Lee Zhi Qing De Deyn & Zenn Chua, 2020. "Staying connected during the COVID-19 pandemic," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(5), pages 519-520, August.
    11. Fredrica Nyqvist & Bernd Pape & Tony Pellfolk & Anna Forsman & Kristian Wahlbeck, 2014. "Structural and Cognitive Aspects of Social Capital and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(2), pages 545-566, April.
    12. Clément Meier & Jürgen Maurer, 2022. "Buddy or burden? Patterns, perceptions, and experiences of pet ownership among older adults in Switzerland," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1201-1212, December.
    13. Jintao Li & Yan Dai & Cynthia Changxin Wang & Jun Sun, 2022. "Assessment of Environmental Demands of Age-Friendly Communities from Perspectives of Different Residential Groups: A Case of Wuhan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.
    14. Nakagomi, Atsushi & Tsuji, Taishi & Saito, Masashige & Ide, Kazushige & Kondo, Katsunori & Shiba, Koichiro, 2023. "Social isolation and subsequent health and well-being in older adults: A longitudinal outcome-wide analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    15. Haywantee Ramkissoon, 2021. "Social Bonding and Public Trust/Distrust in COVID-19 Vaccines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-6, September.
    16. Di Novi, Cinzia & Martini, Gianmaria & Sturaro, Caterina, 2023. "The impact of informal and formal care disruption on older adults’ psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in UK," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    17. Paulette M. Yamada & Joe Priest, 2022. "Utilizing a Team Kinesiology Model to Support Rehabilitative Care in Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, February.
    18. Alexander Langenkamp, 2021. "Lonely Hearts, Empty Booths? The Relationship between Loneliness, Reported Voting Behavior and Voting as Civic Duty," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(4), pages 1239-1254, July.
    19. Escarce, José J. & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2018. "Immigration and the Health of Older Natives in Western Europe," GLO Discussion Paper Series 228, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    20. Timothy B Smith & Connor Workman & Caleb Andrews & Bonnie Barton & Matthew Cook & Ryan Layton & Alexandra Morrey & Devin Petersen & Julianne Holt-Lunstad, 2021. "Effects of psychosocial support interventions on survival in inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings: A meta-analysis of 106 randomized controlled trials," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(5), pages 1-25, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:12:p:6112-:d:1169774. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.