DOES THE TYPE OF MEANING MADE AFFECT SURVIVAL IN CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE PATIENTS?. (11th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aldwin, C; Choun, S; Kang, S; Brockman, A; Park, C
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 2(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 433
• Page End: 433
• Publication Date: 2018-11-11
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.1624
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: Religious meaning can be an important predictor of health outcomes in later life. We hypothesized that the type of religious meaning – positive or negative – may have differential effects on health outcomes. We examined whether the positive or negative meaning predicted mortality risk in congestive heart failure patients (N = 191; 64% male; Mage = 68.6 years, SD = 10.1) who completed a baseline survey and were followed for 5 years (32% of sample weer deceased). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard analyses showed that higher ejection fraction decreased the risk of mortality by 4% and greater negative meaning increased it by 19%. The significant interaction term revealed that individuals with low ejection fractions and high negative meaning had 3.5 times the mortality risk than those with high ejections fractions and low negative meaning. This supports earlier work suggesting that frail older adults in particular may be adversely affected by religious alienation.