Processes Linking Religious Involvement and Telomere Length

Exploring the relationship between religiosity and telomere length in older individuals

OBJECTIVES

Although telomere length is an established marker of biological aging, the impact of religious beliefs on telomere length remains uncertain.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between religiosity and telomere length among senior Brazilians, aged 60 and older. The study examined the association between organizational, non-organizational, and intrinsic religiosity with telomere length, adjusting for sociodemographic, mental, physical health, and medication. Hierarchical linear regression models were used.

RESULTS

821 participants (62.2 % female, mean age 68.9 years, SD = 6.48) were studied. Female gender and younger age were linked to longer telomeres, but no significant associations were found between religious beliefs and telomere length in adjusted or unadjusted models.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found no evidence of an association between religiosity and telomere length among older Brazilian adults. While prior research highlights religiosity's positive health effects, its direct influence on telomere length remains unclear, warranting further exploration.

The association of telomere length and religiosity: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Religiosity is a complex construct comprised observance, intrinsic beliefs, meditative practice, and communal elements. Religiosity has been associated with reduced mortality and improved overall health, but understanding the underlying biological associations is evolving. As increased telomere length has been associated with increased longevity, this project presents a systematic review of studies investigating the relationship between religiosity and telomere length.

DESIGN

The study protocol was registered prior to the search. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was followed. Seven databases were employed using relevant criteria: PubMed, PSYCHinfo, CINAHL, ATLA, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical.

RESULTS

A total of 381 studies were identified and 46 studies met full screening. Eight studies met the final inclusion criteria. Of these eight studies, two showed no relationship between religiosity and telomere length, three showed a positive relationship, and three showed an equivocal or ambivalent relationship. Meta-analysis was not possible due to the heterogeneity of the studies.

CONCLUSION

Religiosity may be associated with telomere length, but results vary widely across the diverse studies included. Longitudinal studies with adequate sample size are needed to determine this association more rigorously.

Why religion and spirituality are important in human biological research

The study of human biology includes exploration of all the genetic and environmental influences on human variation and life history, including impacts of sociocultural and physical environments. Religious practice and spirituality may be one of these influences. There are more than 5.8 billion religiously affiliated adults and children, accounting for 84% of the world's 6.9 billion people. Furthermore, 70% of Americans consider themselves spiritual in some way, including 22% who do not consider themselves religious, and the numbers for Europe are lower but proportionally similar. Such a high rate of religious affiliation and spiritual belief suggests that religion and spirituality could be sociocultural influences on human variation, but human biologists have scarcely attended to their impacts, as indicated by the limited numbers of relevant articles in the two flagship human biology journals. In this article, we discuss why human biologists may have overlooked this important force for human variability and highlight foundational work from human biology and other disciplines that can give our colleagues directions forward. We review the impacts of religion and spirituality at population and individual levels and call for human biologists to attend to the many aspects of religion and spirituality that can impact human biology and are much more than simply influences of denominational affiliation.

The association between religious beliefs and values with inflammation among Middle-age and older adults

Objectives: Dimensions of religion and spirituality are associated with better emotional, physical, and cognitive health. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms are not well known. We investigated the relationship between dimensions of religion and spirituality with levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of systematic inflammation, in middle-aged and older adults in the United States.Methods: In this descriptive longitudinal study using secondary data, we used proportional odds models of the generalized estimating equation (GEE) to assess the association between religious beliefs and values and religious service attendance with CRP levels from respondents (n = 2,385) aged 50 years and older in the Health and Retirement Study from 2006 to 2014.Results: Middle-aged to older adults who reported higher religious beliefs and values had lower levels of CRP, controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, race, household income, and health, such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and body mass index (BMI).Conclusion: Religious beliefs and values are associated with lower CRP levels among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S. This study adds to the understanding of biological processes underlying the relationship between dimensions of religion and spirituality with better cognitive and physical health, potentially through inflammation.

Absent Relations of Religious Coping to Telomere Length in African American and White Women and Men

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated whether race and sex moderated the relations of religious coping to telomere length (TL), a biomarker of cellular aging implicated in race-related health disparities.

METHODS

Participant data were drawn from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study, which included 252 socioeconomically diverse African American and White men and women aged (30-64 years old). Cross-sectional multivariable regression analyses examined interactive associations of religious coping, race, and sex to TL, adjusting for other sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Religious coping was unrelated to TL in this sample (p's > .05). There were no notable race or sex differences. Post hoc exploratory analyses similarly found that neither secular social support coping use nor substance use coping was associated with TL.

CONCLUSION

There was no evidence to support that religious coping use provided protective effects to TL in this sample of African American and White women and men. Nevertheless, future studies should use more comprehensive assessments of religious coping and intersectional identities to provide an in-depth examination of religiosity/spirituality as a potential culturally salient protective factor in cellular aging among African Americans in the context of specific chronic stressors such as discrimination.

(Un)holy Smokes? Religion and Traditional and E-Cigarette Use in the United States

This study employed national cross-sectional survey data from the 2021 Crime, Health, and Politics Survey (n = 1578 to 1735) to model traditional cigarette and e-cigarette use as a function of religious affiliation, general religiosity, biblical literalism, religious struggles, and the sense of divine control. Although the odds of abstaining from cigarettes and e-cigarettes were comparable for conservative Protestants and non-affiliates, conservative Protestants were more likely to cut down on cigarettes and e-cigarettes during the pandemic. Religiosity increased the odds of abstaining from cigarettes (not e-cigarettes) and reduced pandemic consumption of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Biblical literalism was unrelated to abstaining from cigarettes and pandemic changes in cigarette use; however, biblical literalists were more likely to cut e-cigarette use during the pandemic. While the sense of divine control was unrelated to abstaining from cigarettes and e-cigarettes, these beliefs increased the odds of cessation from traditional and e-cigarette use. Finally, our religious struggles index was unrelated to smoking behavior. Our study is among the first to report any association between religion and lower e-cigarette use.

(Un)holy Smokes? Religion and Traditional and E-Cigarette Use in the United States

This study employed national cross-sectional survey data from the 2021 Crime, Health, and Politics Survey (n = 1578 to 1735) to model traditional cigarette and e-cigarette use as a function of religious affiliation, general religiosity, biblical literalism, religious struggles, and the sense of divine control. Although the odds of abstaining from cigarettes and e-cigarettes were comparable for conservative Protestants and non-affiliates, conservative Protestants were more likely to cut down on cigarettes and e-cigarettes during the pandemic. Religiosity increased the odds of abstaining from cigarettes (not e-cigarettes) and reduced pandemic consumption of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Biblical literalism was unrelated to abstaining from cigarettes and pandemic changes in cigarette use; however, biblical literalists were more likely to cut e-cigarette use during the pandemic. While the sense of divine control was unrelated to abstaining from cigarettes and e-cigarettes, these beliefs increased the odds of cessation from traditional and e-cigarette use. Finally, our religious struggles index was unrelated to smoking behavior. Our study is among the first to report any association between religion and lower e-cigarette use.

Religious Service Attendance and Mortality among Adults in the United States with Chronic Kidney Disease

Religion and related institutions have resources to help individuals cope with chronic conditions, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD). The purpose of this investigation is to examine the association between religious service attendance and mortality for adults with CKD. Data were drawn from NHANES III linked to the 2015 public use Mortality File to analyze a sample of adults (n = 3558) who had CKD as defined by a single value of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation and/or albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥17 mg/g for males or ≥25 for females. All-cause mortality was the primary outcome and religious service attendance was the primary independent variable. Cox proportional hazards models were estimated to determine the association between religious service attendance and mortality. The mortality risks for participants who attended a service at least once per week were 21% lower than their peers with CKD who did not attend a religious service at all (HR 0.79; CI 0.64–0.98). The association between religious service attendance and mortality in adults with CKD suggest that prospective studies are needed to examine the influence of faith-related behaviors on clinical outcomes in patients with CKD.

The Relationship Between Four Measures of Religiosity and Cross-National Variations in the Burden of Dementia

Background

Several researchers have identified a possible protective effect of religiosity on the risk of dementia. Specific aspects of religiosity may be associated with this attenuation of risk, and it may be partially mediated through an effect on depressive symptoms or social support. However, this effect has only been demonstrated in selected cohorts to date.

Methods

This study was based on a cross-national analysis of associations. Correlations between World Health Organization estimates of the burden of dementia and four survey-derived measures of religiosity were examined across 101 countries, while controlling for estimates of late-life depression and social capital.

Results

Specific aspects of religiosity, such as attendance at religious services (Pearson’s r= -0.57), daily prayer (r = -0.58), and perception of religion as very important (r = -0.65), were associated with lower national levels of Alzheimer’s and other dementias (p< 0.01 for all correlations). This effect was partially mediated through an inverse relationship between religiosity and depression, but remained significant even after controlling for it and on multivariate analyses (β = -0.38 to -0.57, p< 0.01 for all measures). There was no evidence for a mediating effect of social capital.

Conclusions

Specific religious beliefs and practices may have a protective effect on dementia risk at the population level. These may involve group effects that require further study, such as reductions in depression in the elderly, or may involve beneficial effects on the stress response and cellular ageing in vulnerable individuals; however, the latter cannot be inferred with certainty from a group-level analysis. These results are consistent with earlier research and suggest a potential role for religious-based preventive strategies at the population level.

Early-life exposure to famine and late-life depression: Does leukocyte telomere length mediate the association?

BACKGROUND

A positive association between early-life famine exposure and depression has been demonstrated. However, the mechanisms by which famine exposure in early life leads to late-life depression remains unclear. The present study examines the impact of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and/or religiosity on the relationship between early-life famine exposure and late-life depression in a Chinese minority sample.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older was conducted in the Ningxia province of western China from 2013 to 2016. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the association between famine exposure and depression status, and a series mediation model was constructed to identify the mediation role of LTL and religiosity.

RESULTS

Compared with famine exposure during adulthood, fetal famine exposure was associated with a higher risk of late-life depression (adjusted odds ratio of 3.17, 95% CI: 1.36-7.38). A cumulative effect of fetal famine exposure on the risk of late-life depression was observed. Participants born in 1961 (the third year of the famine) had the strongest association with late-life depression. LTL played a mediating role in the association between famine exposure and depression which accounted for 21% of the total effect.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design prevents causal inferences regarding the relationships between famine and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Fetal famine exposure was associated with an increased risk of late-life depression in a Chinese minority community-dwelling population. Telomere shortening partially mediated this association.

Religiosity, depression and telomere length in Chinese older adults

BACKGROUND

The mechanism explaining how religiosity is linked to telomere length (TL) is unclear. The current study examines depression as a possible mediator.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study of 1,742 community-dwelling residents aged 55 or over, the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administrated during a routine health check. Peripheral blood leukocyte TL was determined using a q-PCR procedure. The Bootstrap methods PROCESS program was used to detect mediation.

RESULTS

After controlling for sociodemographic variables, the religiosity was positively correlated with TL (p<0.05) and negatively correlated with depressive symptom (p<0.001). Depressive symptoms, in turn, was negatively correlated with TL (p<0.05) in the overall sample. Depressive symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between religiosity and TL (explaining 31.8% of the total variance) in the 65 years and older subgroup (p = 0.015). No significant mediation was found in the 55-64 age subgroup.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design prevents making causal inferences. The non-random sampling method used in selecting participants may affect the external validity of the findings in terms of generalizing to Muslims throughout China or other religious groups. Potential mediators of the relationship between religiosity and TL and confounders such as physical health status, were not assessed.

CONCLUSION

Religiosity was positively associated with TL in older mainland Chinese adults, and this association was partially mediated by depressive symptom in the 65 or older age group. This finding helps to explain why religiosity is related to cellular aging in older adults.

Does Salivary Telomere Length Explain Race/Ethnic Differences in Aging?

Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker that can be used to characterize variability in aging and may explain race/ethnic differences in aging. Yet, it remains unclear if TL is related to aging-associated health risks in multi-ethnic populations or if it explains race/ethnic differences in health. We examine whether salivary TL (STL) explains any of the race/ethnic variability in 15 indicators of high-risk biological, physical and cognitive health among 4,074 white, black, and Latinx older adults ages 54+ in the 2008 Health and Retirement Study. TL was assayed from saliva using quantitative PCR (T/S ratio). Decomposition analyses from logistic regression models show variation in STL does not account for any of the observed race/ethnic differences health. In age-adjusted, race-stratified models, STL was associated with HDL, total cholesterol, and lung function among whites, but was not associated with any markers of health among black or Latinx groups. In this diverse national sample of older adults, STL does not account for race/ethnic differences in late life health, is associated with relatively few indicators of health among whites, and is not associated with indicators of health among black or Latinx groups. STL may not be a useful biomarker for understanding racial/ethnic differences in population aging among older adults.

Religious Attendance and Biological Risk: A National Longitudinal Study of Older Adults

Although several studies suggest that religious involvement is associated with healthier biological functioning in later life, most of this work is cross-sectional. We extend previous research by employing a longitudinal design. Our analysis of Health and Retirement Study (2006/2010) data suggests that older adults who attended religious services weekly or more in 2006 tend to exhibit fewer high-risk biomarkers in 2010 and greater reductions in allostatic load over the 4-year study period than respondents who attended yearly or not at all. These patterns persisted with adjustments for baseline allostatic load and a range of background variables.

Religiosity and Telomere Length: Moderating Effect of Religiosity on the Relationship Between High-Risk Polymorphisms of the Apolipoprotein E and TOMM40 Gene and Telomere Length

Objective: The current study seeks to examine the relationship between religiosity and telomere length (TL) in an older Chinese Muslim sample and to explore the moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between high-risk polymorphisms and TL. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1,692 community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older was conducted. Apolipoprotein E and TOMM40 (rs2075650) gene polymorphisms and TL were determined using standard procedures. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the associations. Results: Religiosity was significantly and positively related to TL. A significant interaction emerged between religiosity and the rs2075650 G polymorphism in predicting TL. Stratified multivariate analyses demonstrated that the relationship between the rs2075650 G state and TL was particularly strong among those who were more religious, as hypothesized. Conclusion: The findings revealed that religiosity may influence cellular aging in part by modifying the effect that high-risk genes have on increasing vulnerability to dementia and cognitive impairment.

Does Telomere Length Indicate Biological, Physical, and Cognitive Health Among Older Adults? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Telomere length (TL) has been suggested as a biomarker that can indicate individual variability in the rate of aging. Yet, it remains unclear whether TL is related to recognized indicators of health in an aging, older nationally representative sample. We examine whether TL is associated with 15 biological, physical, and cognitive markers of health among older adults ages 54+. TL was assayed from saliva using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (T/S ratio) in the 2008 Health and Retirement Study (n = 4,074). We estimated probability of high-risk levels across indictors of health by TL and age-singly and jointly. TL was associated with seven indicators of poor functioning: high-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, cystatin C, pulse pressure, body mass index, lung function, and walking speed. However, after adjusting for age, associations were substantially attenuated; only associations with cholesterol and lung function remained significant. Additionally, findings show TL did not add to the predictive power of chronological age in predicting poor functioning. While TL may not be a useful clinical marker of functional aging in an older adult population, it may still play an important role in longitudinal studies in young and middle aged populations that attempt to understand aging.

Religiosity and Health: A Holistic Biopsychosocial Perspective

The resurgence of interest in the influence of religion and spirituality on health is examined within the context of the holistic paradigm and historical connection between nursing and spirituality. While nursing and spirituality often intersect with end-of-life considerations, this article presents findings from studies that demonstrate that religious involvement favors health and longevity across the life course. Examples include protective associations with stress, depression, self-rated health, and infant birth weight. Theoretical and empirical explanations for this relationship are offered, such as social and psychological resources and healthy behaviors. The effects of religion on biological functioning, including allostatic load and telomere length, are also discussed, although this area is understudied. Considerations for the "dark-side" of religious involvement are also offered. Suggestions for nurses wishing to protect and promote the health of their patients using a holistic approach include expanding knowledge of research on religion and health and advocating for patients' spiritual needs by conducting a comprehensive spiritual assessment in primary, secondary, and tertiary clinical settings.

Religion, a social determinant of mortality? A 10-year follow-up of the Health and Retirement Study

The social determinants of health framework has brought a recognition of the primary importance of social forces in determining population health. Research using this framework to understand the health and mortality impact of social, economic, and political conditions, however, has rarely included religious institutions and ties. We investigate a well-measured set of social and economic determinants along with several measures of religious participation as predictors of adult mortality. Respondents (N = 18,370) aged 50 and older to the Health and Retirement Study were interviewed in 2004 and followed for all-cause mortality to 2014. Exposure variables were religious attendance, importance, and affiliation. Other social determinants of health included gender, race/ethnicity, education, household income, and net worth measured at baseline. Confounders included physical and mental health. Health behaviors and social ties were included as potential explanatory variables. Cox proportional hazards regressions were adjusted for complex sample design. After adjustment for confounders, attendance at religious services had a dose-response relationship with mortality, such that respondents who attended frequently had a 40% lower hazard of mortality (HR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.53-0.68) compared with those who never attended. Those for whom religion was "very important" had a 4% higher hazard (HR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07); religious affiliation was not associated with risk of mortality. Higher income and net worth were associated with a reduced hazard of mortality as were female gender, Latino ethnicity, and native birth. Religious participation is multi-faceted and shows both lower and higher hazards of mortality in an adult US sample in the context of a comprehensive set of other social and economic determinants of health.

Kept in His Care: The Role of Perceived Divine Control in Positive Reappraisal Coping

A formidable body of literature suggests that numerous dimensions of religious involvement can facilitate productive coping. One common assumption in this field is that religious worldviews provide overarching frameworks of meaning by which to positively reinterpret stressors. The current study explicitly tests this assumption by examining whether perceived divine control—i.e., the notion that God controls the course and direction of one’s life—buffers the adverse effects of recent traumatic life events on one’s capacity for positive reappraisal coping. We analyze cross-sectional survey data from Vanderbilt University’s Nashville Stress and Health Study (2011–2014), a probability sample of non-Hispanic black and white adults aged 22 to 69 living in Davidson County, Tennessee (n = 1252). Findings from multivariate regression models confirm: (1) there was an inverse association between past-year traumatic life events and positive reappraisals; but (2) perceived divine control significantly attenuated this inverse association. Substantively, our findings suggest that people who believe God controls their life outcomes are better suited for positively reinterpreting traumatic experiences. Implications, limitations, and avenues for future research are discussed.