Panel analyses of religious involvement and well-being in African Americans: Contemporaneous vs. longitudinal effects

Author(s): Taylor, R. J.

Journal/Book: J Sci Stud Relig. 1998; 37: Purdue University, 1365 Stone Hall, West Lafayette, in 47907-1365, USA. Soc Scientific Study Religion. 695-709.

Abstract: This panel study explores the effects of eight measures of religious involvement on three indicators of well-being in a national probability sample of African Americans. Religious measures include religious attendance, church membership, church activity, reading religious books, listening to religious TV/radio, prayer, asking for prayer, and subjective religiosity. Web-being indicators include single-hem measures of life satisfaction and happiness, and a 10-item version of the RAND Mental Health Index (MHI), a scale assessing psychological distress. Using data from multiple waves of the National Survey of Black Americans, religious effects on well-being are examined both cross-sectionally at each wave and longitudinally across waves. Findings reveal strong, statistically significant, and consistent religious effects on well-being contemporaneously within each wave, which withstand controlling for the effects of health and seven sociodemographic variables. Longitudinal religious effects on well-being are present bivariately, but disappear after controlling for the effects of baseline well-being, lagged religious involvement, and health. The meaning and interpretation of contemporaneous as opposed to longitudinal religious effects on wellbeing are discussed.

Note: Article Levin JS, 3548 SW Atwood Ave, Topeka,KS 66614 USA

Keyword(s): PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS; BLACK-AMERICANS; LIFE SATISFACTION; INFORMAL SUPPORT; HEALTH-STATUS; COMMUNITY; PATTERNS; CHURCH; RACE; DEPRESSION

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