Religious Involvement and Sleep Among Older African Americans. (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nguyen, Ann W.; Taylor, Harry Owen; Lincoln, Karen D.; Wang, Fei; Hamler, Tyrone; Mitchell, Uchechi A.
• Other Names: Taylor Robert Joseph guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of aging and health. Volume 34:Number 3(2022)
• Page Start: 413
• Page End: 423
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: sleep quality -- African Americans -- religiosity -- minority aging; Older people -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; 618.97
• DOI: 10.1177/08982643221085408
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0898-2643

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to determine whether religious involvement is associated with sleep quality in a nationally representative sample of older African Americans.Methods: The analytic sample included African American respondents aged 55+ from the National Survey of American Life-Reinterview ( N = 459). Religious involvement variables included service attendance, reading religious texts, watching religious television programs, listening to religious radio programs, prayer, and subjective religiosity. Sleep outcomes were restless sleep and sleep satisfaction. Multiple linear regression analysis was used.Results: Watching religious television programs was associated with more restless sleep. Respondents who attended religious services less than once a year, at least once a week, or nearly every day reported greater sleep satisfaction than respondents who never attended religious services. Subjective religiosity was associated with lower sleep satisfaction.Discussion: The findings demonstrate the importance of examining a variety of religious involvement domains, which could point to different explanatory pathways between religious involvement and sleep.