Abstract
Although
several studies suggest that religious attendance is associated with
better cognitive functioning in later life, researchers have generally
failed to connect with any established life-course perspectives or
theories of cognitive aging. Building on previous work, we examine the
effects of life-course religious attendance on a range of cognitive
functioning outcomes. We employ data from the religious life histories
module of the 2016 Health and Retirement Study, a subsample of 516
adults aged 65 and older. Our key findings demonstrate that older adults
who attended religious services for more of their life course tend to
exhibit poorer working memory and mental status and better
self-rated memory than older adults who attended less often. We
contribute to previous research by reconceptualizing religious
attendance as a cumulative life-course exposure, exploring the effects
of religious attendance net of secular social engagement, and examining a
wider range of cognitive functioning outcomes.
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