Religious older adults may need less long-term care

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Religious older adults may need less long-term care

2004-07-28 13:00:06

 

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By Amy Norton

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults who are deeply religious or

spiritual may be less likely than others their age to enter a

nursing home, a new study suggests.

 

The study of 811 older patients treated at one hospital found that

those who reported the most religious activities and spiritual

experiences spent less time in a nursing home or rehabilitation

center over 15 months.

 

The benefit was, however, seen only in African Americans and women,

and not in white men -- a somewhat surprising finding, according to

the study authors.

 

Overall, though, the results are in line with past research tying

religious beliefs and spirituality, which may or may not be

connected to organized religion, to better physical and mental

health and a longer life.

 

What's unique about this study, lead author Dr. Harold G. Koenig

told Reuters Health, is that it links religion and spirituality to

the need for long-term care.

 

" This doesn't prove that religion improves health, " noted Koenig, a

researcher at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North

Carolina. However, he said, there does seem to be a connection

between religious and spiritual beliefs and health -- the reasons

for which are still being sorted out.

 

Koenig and his colleagues report their findings in the current issue

of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

 

The study included patients age 50 or older, who were hospitalized

for conditions such as heart disease and digestive disorders. While

hospitalized, patients were surveyed about their religious and

spiritual practices and beliefs, as well as any recent stays in a

hospital or long-term care facility. Admissions to a hospital,

nursing home or rehab center were then tracked over the next year.

 

On average, the patients who most often engaged in religious

activities in their personal lives, such as prayer and Bible

reading, spent fewer than 12 days in long-term care. That compares

with nearly 27 days among patients who reported the fewest private

religious practices.

 

A similar trend was found when the researchers looked at

patients' " daily spiritual experiences " -- how often they felt a

spiritual presence in day-to-day life. These relationships existed

regardless of patients' physical health.

 

The researchers did find that support from family and friends seemed

to partially explain why religion and spirituality made a difference

in long-term care.

 

As has been found in other research, Koenig noted, religiously

active individuals had a stronger social network compared with their

peers. However, he pointed out, reasons other than social support

also appear to be at work, though it's unclear what they are.

 

Also uncertain is why the positive effects were limited to women and

African American men. Koenig said that based on past research, his

team expected that any benefits of religion and spirituality would

be greater for African Americans than for whites, and for women

compared with men. But the total lack of effect among white men was

unexpected.

 

The findings, Koenig said, suggest that asking older hospitalized

patients about their spiritual needs, then referring them to a

hospital chaplain if necessary, could make a difference in how they

fare.

 

He noted that while some small studies have shown this may be true,

a " major study " should now look at the question.

 

SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine