Religion and survival in a secular region. A twenty year follow-up of 734 Danish adults born in 1914.

Peter la Cour; Kirsten Avlund; Kirsten Schultz-Larsen

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.029

Religion and survival in a secular region. A twenty year follow-up of 734 Danish adults born in 1914.

Peter la Cour, Kirsten Avlund, Kirsten Schultz-Larsen

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

71 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

Udgivelsesdato: 2006-Jan

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Social Science & Medicine
Vol/bind	62
Udgave nummer	1
Sider (fra-til)	157-64
Antal sider	7
ISSN	0277-9536
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.029
Status	Udgivet - 2005

Bibliografisk note

Keywords: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Altruism; Cohort Studies; Denmark; Female; Health Status; Helping Behavior; Humans; Male; Mortality; Proportional Hazards Models; Registries; Religion; Risk Assessment; Sex Factors; Social Support; Survival Analysis

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.029

Citationsformater

@article{76f4c840855911dd81b0000ea68e967b,

title = "Religion and survival in a secular region. A twenty year follow-up of 734 Danish adults born in 1914.",

abstract = "The aim of the study was to analyse associations of religiosity and mortality in a secular region. The sample consisted of 734 Danish, community dwelling elderly persons, living in a secular culture, and all aged 70 when primary data were collected. Secondary data consisted of a 20 year follow-up on vital status or exact age of death. The study was designed to be highly comparable to studies conducted in more religious environments in order to compare results. Three variables of religion were investigated in relation to survival: importance of affiliation, church attendance and listening to religious media. Relative hazards (RH) of dying were controlled in models including gender, education, medical and mental health, social relations, help given and received, and health behaviour. The results showed significant and positive associations between claiming religious affiliation important and survival (relative hazard of dying=RH .70; 95% CI .58-.85) and church attendance and survival (RH .73; 95% CI .64-.87). Results decreased and only stayed significant regarding church attendance when controlled for covariates. Nearly all significant effects were seen in women, but not in men. The effect size of the full sample is less than in more religious environments in United States samples. Although the positive overall RHs are comparable to those of other studies, the mediating variables and pathways of effects seem dissimilar in this sample from a secular environment. Receiving and especially giving help to others are suggested as variables of explanatory value.",

author = "{la Cour}, Peter and Kirsten Avlund and Kirsten Schultz-Larsen",

note = "Keywords: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Altruism; Cohort Studies; Denmark; Female; Health Status; Helping Behavior; Humans; Male; Mortality; Proportional Hazards Models; Registries; Religion; Risk Assessment; Sex Factors; Social Support; Survival Analysis",

year = "2005",

doi = "10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.029",

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issn = "0277-9536",

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T1 - Religion and survival in a secular region. A twenty year follow-up of 734 Danish adults born in 1914.

AU - la Cour, Peter

AU - Avlund, Kirsten

AU - Schultz-Larsen, Kirsten

N1 - Keywords: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Altruism; Cohort Studies; Denmark; Female; Health Status; Helping Behavior; Humans; Male; Mortality; Proportional Hazards Models; Registries; Religion; Risk Assessment; Sex Factors; Social Support; Survival Analysis

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - The aim of the study was to analyse associations of religiosity and mortality in a secular region. The sample consisted of 734 Danish, community dwelling elderly persons, living in a secular culture, and all aged 70 when primary data were collected. Secondary data consisted of a 20 year follow-up on vital status or exact age of death. The study was designed to be highly comparable to studies conducted in more religious environments in order to compare results. Three variables of religion were investigated in relation to survival: importance of affiliation, church attendance and listening to religious media. Relative hazards (RH) of dying were controlled in models including gender, education, medical and mental health, social relations, help given and received, and health behaviour. The results showed significant and positive associations between claiming religious affiliation important and survival (relative hazard of dying=RH .70; 95% CI .58-.85) and church attendance and survival (RH .73; 95% CI .64-.87). Results decreased and only stayed significant regarding church attendance when controlled for covariates. Nearly all significant effects were seen in women, but not in men. The effect size of the full sample is less than in more religious environments in United States samples. Although the positive overall RHs are comparable to those of other studies, the mediating variables and pathways of effects seem dissimilar in this sample from a secular environment. Receiving and especially giving help to others are suggested as variables of explanatory value.

AB - The aim of the study was to analyse associations of religiosity and mortality in a secular region. The sample consisted of 734 Danish, community dwelling elderly persons, living in a secular culture, and all aged 70 when primary data were collected. Secondary data consisted of a 20 year follow-up on vital status or exact age of death. The study was designed to be highly comparable to studies conducted in more religious environments in order to compare results. Three variables of religion were investigated in relation to survival: importance of affiliation, church attendance and listening to religious media. Relative hazards (RH) of dying were controlled in models including gender, education, medical and mental health, social relations, help given and received, and health behaviour. The results showed significant and positive associations between claiming religious affiliation important and survival (relative hazard of dying=RH .70; 95% CI .58-.85) and church attendance and survival (RH .73; 95% CI .64-.87). Results decreased and only stayed significant regarding church attendance when controlled for covariates. Nearly all significant effects were seen in women, but not in men. The effect size of the full sample is less than in more religious environments in United States samples. Although the positive overall RHs are comparable to those of other studies, the mediating variables and pathways of effects seem dissimilar in this sample from a secular environment. Receiving and especially giving help to others are suggested as variables of explanatory value.

U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.029

DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.029

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16002195

SN - 0277-9536

VL - 62

SP - 157

EP - 164

JO - Social Science & Medicine

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