The association of health and functional status with private and public religious practice among rural, ethnically diverse, older adults with diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
This analysis describes the association of health and functional status with private and public religious practice among ethnically diverse (African American, Native American, white) rural older adults with diabetes.


METHODS
Data were collected using a population-based, cross-sectional, stratified, random sample survey of 701 community-dwelling elders with diabetes in two rural North Carolina counties. Outcome measures were private religious practice, church attendance, religious support provided, and religious support received. Correlates included religiosity, health and functional status, and personal characteristics. Statistical significance was assessed using multiple linear regression and logistic regression models.


RESULTS
These rural elders had high levels of religious belief, and private and public religious practice. Religiosity was associated with private and public religious practice. Health and functional status were not associated with private religious practice, but they were associated with public religious practice, such that those with limited functional status participated less in public religious practice. Ethnicity was associated with private religious practice: African Americans had higher levels of private religious practice than Native Americans or whites, while Native Americans had higher levels than whites.


CONCLUSIONS
Variation in private religious practice among rural older adults is related to personal characteristics and religiosity, while public religious practice is related to physical health, functional status, and religiosity. Declining health may affect the social integration of rural older adults by limiting their ability to participate in a dominant social institution.
Arcury
Thomas A
TA
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1084, USA. tarcury@wfubmc.edu
Stafford
Jeanette M
JM
Bell
Ronny A
RA
Golden
Shannon L
SL
Snively
Beverly M
BM
Quandt
Sara A
SA
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D033303:Protestantism / Q000523:psychology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012423:Rural Health; D012944:Social Support