Religiousness and the Trajectory of Self-Rated Health Across Adulthood
Abstract
This study evaluates the association of religiousness with the growth parameters characterizing changes in self-rated health during adulthood (ages 20-94 years). Even after controlling for health behaviors, social support/social activity, and four of the Big Five, women who were highly religious in 1940 had higher mean self-rated health throughout their lifespan, slower rates of linear decline, and less pronounced cascades than did less religious women. For men, the associations of religiousness with the growth parameters underlying self-rated health were negligible. Results indicate that the association of religiousness with women’s self-rated health may persist after controlling for mundane mediators and that the association of religiousness and self-rated health is not an artifact of the association between religiousness and the Big Five.
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Self-rated health is strongly related to objective health, that is, future health, health services use, and mortality.
“While based on participants' subjective impression, self-rated health is strongly related to objective health, that is, future health, health services use, and mortality [505–507].”
From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [506]
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- Authors
- McCullough, M. E., & Laurenceau, J.-P.
- Affiliations
- University of Miami (US)
- Corresponding author
- McCullough, Michael E.
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2005-04
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 560-573
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W2083580906
- Cited by
- 107
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 3.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
- Keywords
- religiosity, self-rated health, health trajectories, lifespan development, sex differences, Big Five personality traits, health deterioration, cascades, social support, health behavior
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Alcohol Drinking, Attitude to Health, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality, Religion, Self Disclosure, Sex Factors, Social Support, Time Factors, Body Mass Index, Linear Models
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