Age Changes in Religious Service Attendance in Mexican American Older Adults: A Growth Curve Analysis.

Abstract

Objectives: This study examines age patterns in religious attendance in older Mexican Americans. Previous research has focused on majority-white samples, limiting generalizability to other groups. Research in ethnic minority populations is needed.

Methods: We descriptively analyze Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic EPESE) data and estimate a mixed effects linear growth curve model to assess the relationship between age and religious attendance. Results: Descriptive results reveal an inverse U-shaped pattern of religious attendance. Results from the growth curve model indicate rising religious attendance after age 65 and a decline after the mid-70s, an earlier decline compared to majority-white studies. Discussion: These findings have implications for individual well-being, the functioning of religious congregations, and for understanding the patterning of a salient form of social participation among older adults. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and to examine religious attendance patterns in understudied populations.