Role of Religious Involvement in Health in Later Life: An Integrated Review

Aging includes natural, progressive, and irreversible physiological changes that affect physical and mental strength. Religious involvement can help older adults cope with these changes and the stresses of later life. This integrative review study aimed to determine the role of religious involvement in health in later life. To this end, the authors searched keywords, such as religious involvement, religious participation, religious attendance, aged, senior, older adults, older people, aging, later life, elderly, health, and well-being, in the databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar, from 2015 to 2021. Initially, 162 articles were found, and then, 26 were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of this study were categorized into three main parts: the role of religious involvement in physical health, mental health, and social health in older adults. According to the findings, the role of religious involvement in the physical health dimension included reducing mortality, reducing the burden of diseases, as well as improving lifestyle and physiological function. The role of religious involvement in the mental health dimension included reducing depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders and increasing resilience, peace, and life satisfaction. The role of religious involvement in the social health dimension included receiving social support and a sense of social cohesion. It can be concluded that participation in religious activities can lead to health promotion in later life. Furthermore, by identifying the needs and interests of the older adults in this scope, health researchers can provide preventive interventions for them with a focus on education and care to promote their health.