Religious Involvement Among Hispanic and Black Mothers of Newborns

Abstract

Findings are presented from an analysis of patterns and predictors of religious involvement among 135 Hispanic and 118 Black mothers interviewed postpartum as part of the Galveston Low Birthweight Survey in 1986. Three indicators of religious involvement were examined (religious attendance, frequency of prayer, and self-rated religiosity), and six predictors were included (age, education, marital status, prepartum parity, subjective health, and pregnancy anxiety). Results of analysis of covariance and multiple regression include ethnic differences in both patterns and predictors of religious involvement. These findings are compared to similar research on religious involvement in older Hispanics and Blacks.