AGE DENSITY, RELIGIOSITY AND DEATH ANXIETY IN RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES

Two different images of death anxiety (DA) among residents of retireme nt communities are examined: one suggesting retirement community resid ents face special problems regarding DA because they are surrounded by many older people who are vulnerable to illness and death, and the ot her portraying them as having low DA because of their high religiosity . Results of a survey of 674 residents from six West Coast retirement communities do not support the age density argument. ANOVA and other t ests fail to find the age climate of the community to have an impact o n DA. On the other hand, regression analysis finds that attendance at religious services is associated with low DA, whereas private religiou s practices, significance of religion to self; and social activities a re not In retrospect the findings on the importance of religion suppor t Durkheim's thesis regarding the importance of participation in share d religious rituals.