Religion, Aging, and Mexican American Health
Neal Krause, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Proposal Summary: An ongoing program is assessing race, church-based social relationships, and health in late life through a longitudinal survey conducted with a nationally-representative sample of older whites and older blacks. This study will incorporate a comprehensive survey to assess various facets of religion among older Mexican Americans. This data will then be used to analyze race differences, explore the specific religious beliefs that foster church-based social relationships, and evaluate the effects of church-based social support on health. Social relationships that will be assessed include social support, close companion friendships, negative interaction, and relationships that arise in formal church roles, such as Bible study groups, prayer groups, and church-based volunteer programs.
