Hostility, Religious Involvement, Gratitude, and Self-Rated Health in Late Life

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluates a latent variable model that assesses the relationships among hostility, church attendance, helping others, gratitude, and self-rated health. Methods: The participants come from the sixth wave of a nationwide survey of older adults ( N = 1,011). Results: The data suggest that older individuals who go to church less often help others less frequently, older people who help others less are less grateful, and older adults who are less grateful rate their health in a less favorable manner. In addition, the data indicate that older people with high hostility scores help others less often and are less grateful. The results reveal that the way in which older people view their health may be traced in part to the interplay between personality traits (i.e., hostility) and virtues that are part of most faith traditions (e.g., helping others).