THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES AND CIGARETTE-SMOKING IN OLDER ADULTS

Background. The objective of this study was to examine the relationshi p between religious activities and cigarette smoking in community-dwel ling older adults. Methods. Cigarette smoking and religious activities were assessed in a probability sample of 3968 persons age 65 years or older participating in the Duke Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) survey. Participants were asked if they curren tly smoked, if they ever smoked, and how many cigarettes per day they smoked. Attendance at religious services, participation in private rel igious activities (prayer or Bible study), and use of religious media (religious TV or radio) were also assessed. Data were available for Wa ves I-III of the survey (1986, 1989, and 1992). Analyses were controll ed for age, race, sex, education, alcohol use, physical health, and in the longitudinal analyses, smoking status at prior waves. Results. Cr oss-sectional analyses revealed that participants who frequently atten ded religious Services were significantly less likely to smoke cigaret tes at all three waves. Likewise, elders frequently involved in privat e religions activity were less likely to smoke (Waves II and III). Tot al number of pack-years smoked was also inversely related to both atte ndance at religious services and private religious activities. Watchin g religious TV or listening to religious,radio, on the other hand, was not related to smoking at Waves I and II nor to total pack-years smok ed, but was postively related to current smoking at Wave III. Among th ose who smoked, number of cigarettes smoked was inversely related to f requency of attendance at religious services (Wave I), private religio us activities (Wave III), and religious TV/radio (Waves II and III). R etrospective and prospective analyses revealed that religiously active persons were less likely to ever start smoking, not more likely to qu it smoking. Conclusions. Religiously active persons are less likely to smoke cigarettes, and if they do smoke, smoke fewer cigarettes. Given the association between smoking and disease, and the widespread preva lence of both smoking and religious activity, this finding has implica tions for public health.