Centre for Policy on Ageing



Gratitude toward God, stress, and health in late life
Author(s)	Neal Krause
Journal title	Research on Aging, vol 28, no 2, March 2006
Pages	pp 163-183
Source	http://www.sagepublications.com
Keywords	Spiritual characteristics [elderly] ; Religion ; Stress ; Health [elderly] ; Longitudinal surveys ; United States of America.
Annotation	The relationship between feeling grateful to God and reducing the serious effects of stress on health in late life was examined in this study. An effort was also made to test for gender differences in this process. Three main findings emerged from analysis of interviews with a nationwide sample of 1500 older Americans in 2001, of whom 1024 were re-interviewed in 2004. First, the data suggest that older women are more likely to feel grateful to God than older men. Second, the results revealed that the effects of stress (e.g. living in a run-down neighbourhood) on health are reduced for older people who feel more grateful to God. Lastly, the analysis indicated that the potentially important stress buffering properties of gratitude toward God emerge primarily among older women but not older men. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-060519201 A
Classmark	EX: TR: QNH: CC: 3J: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.