Dementia and the Importance of Religious Services in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Tu Yufang, O’Connor Melissa
Primary Institution: North Dakota State University
Hypothesis
The study explores the connection between dementia status and changes in the perceived importance of religious service participation over an 11-year period.
Conclusion
Older adults with dementia perceive religious service participation as less important compared to those without dementia.
Supporting Evidence
- Individuals with dementia had a lower baseline perceived importance of religious service participation by 0.28 points compared to those without dementia.
- The perceived importance of religious service participation significantly declined over time for both individuals with and without dementia.
- Individuals with dementia exhibited a faster decline in perceived importance of religious service participation compared to those without dementia.
Takeaway
Older people with dementia think going to religious services is less important than those without dementia, but being involved in these services can help them feel better.
Methodology
The study used longitudinal data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study and conducted multilevel modeling with dementia diagnosis as a predictor.
Participant Demographics
Participants were Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, with data collected over 12 waves from 2011 to 2022.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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