The association between loneliness and life satisfaction: examining spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation as moderators.

Muhammad, T; Pai, M; Afsal, K; Saravanakumar, P; Irshad, CV

The association between loneliness and life satisfaction: examining spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation as moderators.

Muhammad, T Pai, M Afsal, K Saravanakumar, P

Irshad, CV

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Publisher:: BMC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BMC Geriatr, 2023, 23, (1), pp. 301
Issue Date:: 2023-05-16

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Muhammad, T
dc.contributor.author	Pai, M
dc.contributor.author	Afsal, K
dc.contributor.author	Saravanakumar, P https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6923-0355
dc.contributor.author	Irshad, CV
dc.date.accessioned	2023-11-06T23:24:24Z
dc.date.available	2023-05-04
dc.date.available	2023-11-06T23:24:24Z
dc.date.issued	2023-05-16
dc.identifier.citation	BMC Geriatr, 2023, 23, (1), pp. 301
dc.identifier.issn	1471-2318
dc.identifier.issn	1471-2318
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/173105
dc.description.abstract	BACKGROUND: Future cohort of older adults may have to rely on non-family sources and forms of support, religion being one of them. This may be especially so, considering the recent longitudinal evidence that individuals are inclined to become more religious with increasing age. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to assess the association between loneliness and life satisfaction among older adults in India, and the extent to which the association between loneliness and life satisfaction is moderated by spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation. METHODS: Data come from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, with a sample of 31,464 individuals aged 60 years and above. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine the independent association of loneliness and life satisfaction. Further, an interaction analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which the association between perceived loneliness and life satisfaction is moderated by spirituality, religiosity and religious participation among older Indians. RESULTS: The prevalence of low life satisfaction (LLS) was 30.84%; a total of 37.25% of participants reported feeling lonely, 12.54% reported a lack of spiritual experience, 21.24% reported not being religious, and 19.31% reported not participating in religious activities. Older adults who felt lonely had higher odds of LLS relative to peers who were not lonely. Further, the adverse impact of loneliness on LLS among older Indians is moderated by their spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation. Specifically, the adverse impact of loneliness on LLS was less negatively pronounced among older adults who were spiritual, religious, and engaged in religious activities. CONCLUSIONS: The study found an independent association between loneliness and lower life satisfaction among older adults in India. It also revealed that religiosity, spirituality and religious participation moderate the association between loneliness and lower life satisfaction. These findings, which underscore the health promoting benefits of religiosity and religious engagement, may be used to build on the interaction between religious and faith-based groups and public health professionals.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	BMC
dc.relation.ispartof	BMC Geriatr
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1186/s12877-023-04017-7
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1103 Clinical Sciences, 1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Geriatrics
dc.subject.classification	3202 Clinical sciences
dc.subject.classification	4203 Health services and systems
dc.subject.classification	4206 Public health
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Spirituality
dc.subject.mesh	Loneliness
dc.subject.mesh	Religion
dc.subject.mesh	Prevalence
dc.subject.mesh	Longitudinal Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Prevalence
dc.subject.mesh	Longitudinal Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Loneliness
dc.subject.mesh	Spirituality
dc.subject.mesh	Religion
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Spirituality
dc.subject.mesh	Loneliness
dc.subject.mesh	Religion
dc.subject.mesh	Prevalence
dc.subject.mesh	Longitudinal Studies
dc.title	The association between loneliness and life satisfaction: examining spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation as moderators.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	23
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences
utslib.for	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-11-06T23:24:22Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	23
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Future cohort of older adults may have to rely on non-family sources and forms of support, religion being one of them. This may be especially so, considering the recent longitudinal evidence that individuals are inclined to become more religious with increasing age. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to assess the association between loneliness and life satisfaction among older adults in India, and the extent to which the association between loneliness and life satisfaction is moderated by spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation. METHODS: Data come from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, with a sample of 31,464 individuals aged 60 years and above. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine the independent association of loneliness and life satisfaction. Further, an interaction analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which the association between perceived loneliness and life satisfaction is moderated by spirituality, religiosity and religious participation among older Indians. RESULTS: The prevalence of low life satisfaction (LLS) was 30.84%; a total of 37.25% of participants reported feeling lonely, 12.54% reported a lack of spiritual experience, 21.24% reported not being religious, and 19.31% reported not participating in religious activities. Older adults who felt lonely had higher odds of LLS relative to peers who were not lonely. Further, the adverse impact of loneliness on LLS among older Indians is moderated by their spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation. Specifically, the adverse impact of loneliness on LLS was less negatively pronounced among older adults who were spiritual, religious, and engaged in religious activities. CONCLUSIONS: The study found an independent association between loneliness and lower life satisfaction among older adults in India. It also revealed that religiosity, spirituality and religious participation moderate the association between loneliness and lower life satisfaction. These findings, which underscore the health promoting benefits of religiosity and religious engagement, may be used to build on the interaction between religious and faith-based groups and public health professionals.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/173105