Church Attendance Mediates the Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Functioning Among Older Mexican Americans

Overview

Journal J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2008 May 31

PMID 18511751

Citations 33

Authors

Carlos A Reyes-Ortiz

Ivonne M Berges

Mukaila A Raji

Harold G Koenig

Yong-Fang Kuo

Kyriakos S Markides

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to examine how the effect of depressive symptoms on cognitive function is modified by church attendance.

Methods: We used a sample of 2759 older Mexican Americans. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline, 2, 5, 7, and 11 years of follow-up. Church attendance was dichotomized as frequent attendance (e.g., going to church at least once a month) versus infrequent attendance (e.g., never or several times a year). Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; score >or=16 vs <16). General linear mixed models with time-dependent covariates were used to explore cognitive change at follow-up.

Results: In unadjusted models, infrequent church attendees had a greater decline in MMSE scores (drop of 0.151 points more each year, standard error [SE] = 0.02, p <.001) compared to frequent church attendees; participants having CES-D scores >or=16 also had greater declines in MMSE scores (drop of 0.132 points more each year, SE = 0.03, p <.001) compared to participants with CES-D score <16 at follow-up. In fully adjusted models, a significant Church attendance x CES-D x Time interaction (p =.001) indicated that, among participants with CES-D scores >or=16, infrequent church attendees had greater decline in MMSE scores (drop of 0.236 points more each year, SE = 0.05, p <.001) compared to frequent church attendees at follow-up.

Conclusion: Church attendance appears to be beneficial for maintaining cognitive function of older persons. Church attendance moderates the impact of clinically relevant depressive symptoms on subsequent cognitive function.

Citing Articles

Religious Involvement and Cognitive Function Among White, Black, and Hispanic Older Adults.

Sauerteig-Rolston M, Barnes L, Thomas P, Angel J, Ferraro K Res Aging. 2024; 47(2):116-127.

PMID: 39110906 PMC: 11659038. DOI: 10.1177/01640275241269949.

Sleep-wake behavioral characteristics associated with depression symptoms: findings from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Lau S, Zhang G, Rueschman M, Li X, Irwin M, Krafty R Sleep. 2024; 47(4).

PMID: 38394355 PMC: 11009024. DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsae045.

Specific aspects of religious involvement protect against depressive symptoms among immigrant versus U.S.-born, Hispanic older adults.

Springstead J, Sol K, Morris E, Kraal A, Zahodne L Aging Ment Health. 2023; 28(4):658-666.

PMID: 37811722 PMC: 10963168. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2023.2265848.

Associations of Religious Service Attendance With Cognitive Function in Midlife: Findings From The CARDIA Study.

Nelson I, Kezios K, Elbejjani M, Lu P, Yaffe K, Zeki Al Hazzouri A J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2022; 78(4):684-694.

PMID: 36239456 PMC: 10413813. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac165.

Religiosity/Spirituality and Mental Health in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Coelho-Junior H, Calvani R, Panza F, Allegri R, Picca A, Marzetti E Front Med (Lausanne). 2022; 9:877213.

PMID: 35646998 PMC: 9133607. DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.877213.

References

Raji M, Reyes-Ortiz C, Kuo Y, Markides K, Ottenbacher K . Depressive symptoms and cognitive change in older Mexican Americans. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2007; 20(3):145-52. DOI: 10.1177/0891988707303604. View

Sheline Y, Sanghavi M, Mintun M, Gado M . Depression duration but not age predicts hippocampal volume loss in medically healthy women with recurrent major depression. J Neurosci. 1999; 19(12):5034-43. PMC: 6782668. View

Katz S, Ford A, Moskowitz R, Jackson B, JAFFE M . STUDIES OF ILLNESS IN THE AGED. THE INDEX OF ADL: A STANDARDIZED MEASURE OF BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTION. JAMA. 1963; 185:914-9. DOI: 10.1001/jama.1963.03060120024016. View

Thiebaut R, Jacqmin-Gadda H, Chene G, Leport C, Commenges D . Bivariate linear mixed models using SAS proc MIXED. Comput Methods Programs Biomed. 2002; 69(3):249-56. DOI: 10.1016/s0169-2607(02)00017-2. View

Idler E, Kasl S . Religion among disabled and nondisabled persons II: attendance at religious services as a predictor of the course of disability. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1997; 52(6):S306-16. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/52b.6.s306. View

Swaab D, Dubelaar E, Hofman M, Scherder E, van Someren E, Verwer R . Brain aging and Alzheimer's disease; use it or lose it. Prog Brain Res. 2002; 138:343-73. DOI: 10.1016/S0079-6123(02)38086-5. View

Krause N . Church-based social support and health in old age: exploring variations by race. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2002; 57(6):S332-47. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/57.6.s332. View

Kado D, Karlamangla A, Huang M, Troen A, Rowe J, Selhub J . Homocysteine versus the vitamins folate, B6, and B12 as predictors of cognitive function and decline in older high-functioning adults: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging. Am J Med. 2005; 118(2):161-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2004.08.019. View

Reyes-Ortiz C, Kuo Y, DiNuzzo A, Ray L, Raji M, Markides K . Near vision impairment predicts cognitive decline: data from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005; 53(4):681-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53219.x. View

10.

Reyes-Ortiz C . Delirium, dementia and brain reserve. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1997; 45(6):778-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1997.tb01492.x. View

11.

Stolley J, Koenig H . Religion/spirituality and health among elderly African Americans and Hispanics. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 1997; 35(11):32-8. DOI: 10.3928/0279-3695-19971101-14. View

12.

Krause N . Exploring the stress-buffering effects of church-based and secular social support on self-rated health in late life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2006; 61(1):S35-43. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/61.1.s35. View

13.

Folstein M, Folstein S, McHugh P . "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975; 12(3):189-98. DOI: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. View

14.

Coburn-Litvak P, Pothakos K, Tata D, McCloskey D, Anderson B . Chronic administration of corticosterone impairs spatial reference memory before spatial working memory in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2003; 80(1):11-23. DOI: 10.1016/s1074-7427(03)00019-4. View

15.

Daffner K, Ryan K, Williams D, Budson A, Rentz D, Wolk D . Increased responsiveness to novelty is associated with successful cognitive aging. J Cogn Neurosci. 2006; 18(10):1759-73. DOI: 10.1162/jocn.2006.18.10.1759. View

16.

McEwen B . The neurobiology of stress: from serendipity to clinical relevance. Brain Res. 2000; 886(1-2):172-189. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(00)02950-4. View

17.

Geerlings M, Schoevers R, Beekman A, Jonker C, Deeg D, Schmand B . Depression and risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Results of two prospective community-based studies in The Netherlands. Br J Psychiatry. 2000; 176:568-75. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.176.6.568. View

18.

Csernansky J, Dong H, Fagan A, Wang L, Xiong C, Holtzman D . Plasma cortisol and progression of dementia in subjects with Alzheimer-type dementia. Am J Psychiatry. 2006; 163(12):2164-9. PMC: 1780275. DOI: 10.1176/ajp.2006.163.12.2164. View

19.

Hill T, Burdette A, Angel J, Angel R . Religious attendance and cognitive functioning among older Mexican Americans. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2006; 61(1):P3-9. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/61.1.p3. View

20.

Strawbridge W, Shema S, Cohen R, Kaplan G . Religious attendance increases survival by improving and maintaining good health behaviors, mental health, and social relationships. Ann Behav Med. 2001; 23(1):68-74. DOI: 10.1207/s15324796abm2301_10. View