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Research on Aging
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Cross-National Variations in the Correlation Between Frequency of Prayer and Health Among Older Europeans

Karsten Hank

Mannheim Research Institute for the Economics of Aging, University of Mannheim

Barbara Schaan

Mannheim Research Institute for the Economics of Aging, University of Mannheim

This research investigated the relationship between individuals' present frequency of prayer and various dimensions of older adults' physical and mental health in nine European countries. Using data from the 2004 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, the authors estimated pooled and regional multivariate logistic regression models for four dependent variables: self-perceived general health, general physical health, functional limitations, and mental health. The results showed that the frequency of prayer in the population aged 50 years and older was negatively correlated with all four health outcomes in the analysis. Moreover, only minor cross-national variations were detected in the prayer-health nexus within continental Europe. Although the cross-sectional nature of the data prohibits any statements about causal relationships underlying the observed correlations, the evidence presented here suggests that religion should be considered a potentially relevant factor in future studies of older Europeans' health.

Key Words: prayer • health • older adults • cross-national research

Research on Aging, Vol. 30, No. 1, 36-54 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0164027507307923
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