Religiosity, Smoking, Exercise, and Obesity Among Southern, Community-Dwelling Older Adults

This study examined associations between organizational (OR), nonorganizational (NOR), and intrinsic religiosity (IR) and measures of cigarette smoking, exercise, and obesity among older adults, controlling for measures of sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidity. In-home interviews were conducted among a stratified, random sample of Medicare beneficiaries from five central Alabama counties (the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging). Balanced numbers of African American and White, female and male, and rural and urban participants were recruited for the study. OR and NOR were negatively related to lifetime cigarette smoking and OR was positively related to leisure-time physical activity, even when controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidity. No measure of religiosity was related to the likelihood of being obese, and IR did not predict smoking or exercise. The authors suggest that faith-based communities may be important resources for delivering health promotion programs for older adults.