Cognitive function among religious and non-religious Europeans: a cross-national cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the associations between several measures and categories of religiosity and cognitive function across sex and European regions.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal study including 17,756 Europeans aged 50 and older who participated in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe wave 1. Participants were followed for up to 15 years. Associations were analyzed using linear mixed effects models adjusted for several potential confounders.

RESULTS

Religious service attendance was consistently associated with better cognitive function (coefficient: 1.04, 95% CI 0.71; 1.37) across sex and European regions. Praying was also associated with better cognitive function but only among men (coefficient: 0.55, 95% CI 0.15; 0.96). However, individuals who received religious education from their parents had poorer cognitive function (coefficient: -0.59, 95% CI -0.93; -0.25). The association persisted in women and among both sexes in Western Europe. Comparing different religious categories to the non-religious, participants who were religious in childhood showed an inverse association with cognitive function, while persistently religious men exhibited better cognitive function.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that religious service attendance and, to a certain extent, prayer is associated with better cognitive function. However, receiving religious education in childhood may be linked to lower cognitive function.

Salutogenic health measures: Psychometric properties of the Danish versions of the Flourish Index and the Secure Flourish Index

Measurement of human flourishing represents a salutogenic approach to epidemiological and behavioral research emphasizing factors contributing to "good lives" rather than pathology. The objective of this study was to translate and psychometrically test the 10-item Flourish Index (FI) and 12-item Secure Flourish Index (SFI) in a convenience sample of Danish adults. A total of 325 participants completed a cross-sectional survey, with 148 of those participants completing the survey a second time (retest). Confirmatory factor analysis in a structural equation modelling framework was used to establish structural validity by comparing four different pre-specified models of the indexes. Additionally, internal consistency, convergent and incremental validity, and retest reliability were examined. The FI models exhibited superior structural validity compared with similar models of the SFI, although all models had good fits. Internal consistencies with McDonald's omega were 0.89 and 0.87 for the FI and SFI, respectively. The five (FI) or six (SFI) domains were happiness & life satisfaction, mental & physical health, meaning & purpose, character & virtue, close social relationships, and financial & material stability (λ4  = 0.51-0.91). Convergent and incremental validity tests supported predefined hypotheses. Retest analyses with the FI and SFI showed a high degree of retest reliability. Based on the psychometric evidence reported in this study, the Danish Flourish Index and Secure Flourish Index seem suitable for use with healthy adult Danes. The authors hope that this psychometric evaluation of the FI and SFI will stimulate research on patterns, health and economic outcomes, and predictors of human flourishing in Denmark.

Training Researchers in the Field of Religion, Spirituality, and Health: Experiences from a Workshop in the United States and Recommendations for Future Workshop Curricula

Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted in the field of religion, spirituality, and health, much still needs to be done. Training of researchers to conduct studies in the field of religion, spirituality, and health is essential for continued academic and methodological rigor. Such training should be globally oriented to ensure both representation and evidence from non-western cultures which is currently lacking. While little attention is given to this area in mainstream contemporary academic curricula, some researchers in the field have provided exceptional leadership in designing programs to train future researchers. In this commentary, the authors who participated in one such training program at Duke University, offer their insights based on a qualitative descriptive analysis of survey responses from a sample of participants. These insights relate to participants' perceptions of the most valuable experiences from a workshop on religion, spirituality, and health, and include recommendations for future content in training programs in this field. The multicultural aspect of the program with researchers, clinicians, and other professionals from 17 different countries was the most enriching aspect of the workshop. One of the key recommendations for future training efforts is to dedicate workshop time for participants to work collaboratively in the design and plan for international and interdisciplinary research projects with guidance from faculty.Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Author 1 Given name: [Tobias Anker] Last name [Stripp]. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.They are correct.

Effect of religious service attendance on mortality and hospitalisations among Danish men and women: longitudinal findings from REGLINK-SHAREDK

Research suggests a protective effect of religious service attendance on various health outcomes. However, most research has been done in religious societies, raising the question of whether these associations are also prominent in secular cultures. Here we examine mortality and hospitalisations by religious service attendance among men and women in a secular society. We performed a cohort study including 2987 Danes aged 40+ interviewed in SHARE from 2004 to 2007 and followed up in the Danish registries until 2018. We used Cox regressions and negative binomial regressions to examine associations, including interactions with sex and adjusting for age, wave, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle factors, body mass index, and history of diseases. Overall, 5.0% of men and 6.6% of women reported that they had taken part in a religious organisation within the last month. Among 848 deaths, we found lower mortality for people who attended religious services (hazard ratio (HR) 0.70; 95% CI 0.50-0.99). There was evidence for an association among women (HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.35-0.89), but not among men (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.59-1.53). In contrast, regarding hospital admissions (n = 12,010), we found lower hospitalisation rates among men who attended religious services (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.67; 95% CI 0.45-0.98), whereas no association was found among women (IRR 0.95; 95% CI 0.70-1.29). Sensitivity analyses with E-values were moderately robust. Our results contribute to the limited literature on possible health benefits of religious service attendance in secular societies, demonstrating lower mortality among women and fewer hospitalisations among men.