FREQUENT ATTENDANCE AT RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND MORTALITY OVER 28 YEARS

Objectives. This study analyzed the long-term association between reli gious attendance and mortality to determine whether the association is explained by improvements in health practices and social connections for frequent attenders. Methods. The association between frequent atte ndance and mortality over 28 years for 5286 Alameda County Study respo ndents was examined. Logistic regression models analyzed associations between attendance and subsequent improvements in health practices and social connections. Results. Frequent attenders had lower mortality r ates than infrequent attenders (relative hazard [RH] = 0.64: 95% confi dence interval [CI] = 0.53, 0.77). Results were stronger for females. Health adjustments had little impact, but adjustments for social conne ctions and health practices reduced the relationship (RH = 0.77; 95% C I = 0.64, 0.93). During follow-up, frequent attenders were more likely to stop smoking, increase exercising, increase social contacts, and s tay married. Conclusions. Lower mortality rates for frequent religious attenders are partly explained by improved health practices, increase d social contacts, and more stable marriages occurring in conjunction with attendance. The mechanisms by which these changes occur have broa d intervention implications.