Research on Religion and Aging Among Black Americans and Mexican Americans: The Impact of the National Institute on Aging.

Abstract

For 50 years, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) has supported and promoted research on religious involvement among older adult populations. NIA funding of research on religious involvement has (i) broadened our understanding of how religious involvement is conceptualized and measured; (ii) explored the important role of social networks and interactions within religious communities in relation to congregants' health; (iii) supported research on national samples of the U.S. population that explore demographic variability in religious practices and beliefs, as well as their social correlates; and (iv) examined health-relevant frameworks and topics in relation to religion's association with physical and mental health and well-being. This article focuses on research on African Americans and Mexican Americans as well as comparative work involving non-Latino Whites. Selected topics in religion and aging include Conceptualization and Measurement of Religious Participation; Religious Participation; Religion and Mental Health; Religion and Physical Health, Church-Based Informal Support, Church Support, and Mental and Physical Health; Religious Coping; and the Use of Clergy for serious problems. NIA's long record of support for scholarship and research has significantly enriched our understanding of why and how religion matters for the health and social well-being of diverse populations of older adults.