Variables associated with religious practice in Brazilian adults and older adults aged 50 and over: ELSI-Brazil

Abstract

Objective To identify variables associated with religious practice in Brazilian adults and older adults aged 50 and over. Method In this observational and cross-sectional study, the participants included 7,171 individuals aged 50 and over from a representative national sample (N=9,412), interviewed in the first wave of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), on frequency of participation in religious services, religious affiliation, self-rated health, sex, age, education, living arrangements, region of residence, and race. The Poisson regression model was used to investigate crude and adjusted associations between variables. Results Fifty-seven percent of the sample was female, the mean age was 62.5±9.4 years old, the majority had 5 to 8 years of education and lived with 3 or more people, 42% resided in the Southeast region, and 48% self-declared as Pardo [mixed race], 66% were Catholic, 76% attended religious services once or more times a week, and 45% rated their health as fair. The most frequent participants in religious services were Black (PR=1.06, 95%CI 1.00-1.12)and mixed race (PR=1.07, 95%CI 1.03-1.11), Evangelical (PR =1.26, 95%CI 1.22-1.30), and self-rated their health as fair (PR=1.07, 95%CI 1.02-1.11). In contrast, the least frequent were male (PR=0.87, 95%CI 0.84-0.90), with 5 to 8 years of education (PR=0.92, 95%CI 0.88-0.97), residing in the Southeast (PR=0.91, 95%CI 0.86-0.95) and South (PR=0.90, 95%CI 0.82-0.99) regions. Conclusion Self-declaration as Black and mixed race, Evangelical religion, and self-rated health as fair were associated with higher attendance at religious services among Brazilians aged 50 and over.