title: Predictors of religious participation of older Europeans in good and poor health.
abstract: Religious attendance is an important element of activity for older Europeans, especially in more traditional countries. The aim of the analysis is to explore whether it could be an element contributing to active ageing as well as to assess differences between the religious activity of older individuals with and without multimorbidity defined as an occurrence of two or more illnesses. The analysis is conducted based on the SHARE database (2010-2011) covering 57,391 individuals 50+ from 16 European countries. Logistic regressions are calculated to assess predictors of religious activity. Results point that religious activity often occurs in multimorbidity what could be driven by the need for comfort and compensation from religion. It is also significantly correlated with other types of social activities: volunteering or learning, even among the population with multimorbidity. There is a positive relation between religious activity and age, although its effect is weaker in the case of multimorbidity, as well as being female. Mobility limitations are found to decrease religious participation in both morbidity groups and might be related to discontinuation of religious practices in older age. The economic situation of older individuals is an insignificant factor for religious attendance. Religious attendance can be an element of active ageing, but also a compensation and adaptation to disadvantages occurring in older age and multimorbidity. At the same time, religious activities are often provided at the community level and targeted to population in poorer health.
authors.affiliation: Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE), Al. Jana Pawła II 61/212, Warsaw, Poland ; Institute of Labour and Social Studies, Bellottiego 3B, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sowa
authors.affiliation: Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE), Al. Jana Pawła II 61/212, Warsaw, Poland ; Institute of Labour and Social Studies, Bellottiego 3B, Warsaw, Poland ; Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, ul. Grzegórzecka 20, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Stanisława
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golinowska
authors.affiliation: VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1089aHV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dorly
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deeg
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing (INRCA), via S. Margherita 5, 60124 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Principi
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing (INRCA), via S. Margherita 5, 60124 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Berggasse 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schulmann
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Berggasse 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stephania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ilinca
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Berggasse 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Science, University of Lisbon, Av. Professor Aníbal de Bettencourt 9, 1600-189 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Amilcar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1089aHV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henrike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gelenkamp
keywords: Ageing; Health status; Morbidity; Older people; Religious participation