Religious attitudes and practices of hospitalized medically ill olderadults
H.G. Koenig
Bok Engelsk 1998
| Utgitt | 1998
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| Omfang | Side 213- 224
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| Opplysninger | Objectives. To examine the prevalence of religious beliefs andpractices among medically ill hospitalized older adults and relatethem to social, psychological and health characteristics.Methods and procedures. Consecutive patients age 60 or over admittedto the general medicine, cardiology and neurology services of DukeUniversity Medical Center were evaluated for participation in adepression study. As part of the evaluation, information on religiousaffiliation, religious attendance, private religious activities,intrinsic religiosity and religious coping was collected.Demographic, social, psychological and physical hearthcharacteristics were also assessed. Bivariate and multivariatecorrelates of religious belief and activity were examined usingPearson correlation and linear regression.Results. Of the 542 patients evaluated, detailed information onreligious beliefs and behaviors was collected on 455 cognitivelyunimpaired patients. Over one-half (53.4%) of the sample reportedattending religious services once per week or more often; 58.7%prayed or studied the Bible daily or more often; over 85% of patientsheld intrinsic religious attitudes; and over 40% spontaneouslyreported that their religious faith was the most important factorthat enabled them to cope. Religious variables were consistently andindependently related to race (Black), lower education, higher socialsupport and greater life stressors, and religious attendance wasassociated with less medical illness burden. Religious attendance wasalso related to lower depressive symptoms, although the associationweakened when other covariates were controlled.Conclusions. Religious practices, attitudes and coping behaviors areprevalent among hospitalized medically ill older adults and arerelated to social, psychological and physical health outcomes.Implications for clinical practice are discussed. (C) 1998 John Wiley& Sons, Ltd.
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