Location
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Start Date
4-5-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-5-2024 11:30 AM
Poster Number
157
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Kelly Foster
Faculty Sponsor's Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Poster Presentation
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Despite advances in healthcare, health disparities remain globally. This study investigates the complex relationship between religion, income, age, race, and overall health. In particular, I investigated how religious affiliation and practices affect perceptions of overall health while controlling for socio-demographic and economic factors such as gender, race, and income. This study contributes to a better understanding of the multifaceted determinants of health. Existing literature suggests a nuanced interplay between religion and/or spirituality, socio-demographic characteristics, and various health outcomes (Koenig et al., 2013). While some studies highlight the positive contributions of religion and spirituality to mental and/or physical health (Roger & Hatala, 2018; Oman & Lukoff, 2018; Shattuck & Muehlenbein, 2020), it is crucial to note that these effects are not always uniform across the board. Overall health can be influenced by factors such as religious denomination, individual characteristics, and the broader socio-demographic context (Hood et al., 2009; Koenig et al., 2013). I used the General Social Survey (GSS) 2022 dataset with a representative sample of 3,544 U.S. adults, 18 and above, living in noninstitutional housing at the time of the interview. The dataset also had 601 additional completes from an oversample of Black, Hispanic, and Asian respondents from the NORC AmeriSpeak® Panel. In the survey, respondents provided information on gender, race, income, and their religious background (attendance and affiliation). The family income (coninc) and religious attendance (attend) variables assess the inflation-adjusted total family income for respondents ranging between $1 and $999,999 and self-reported levels of religious attendance, respectively. For this analysis, I ran an ordinal logistic regression to determine if there is a significant relationship between religion, race, gender, and income and the overall self-reported health of respondents. The full analysis is ongoing but preliminary analysis and existing literature indicate that the predictor variables (religious attendance, race, gender, and family income) have a significant impact on respondent’s perceptions of overall health, albeit to varying degrees. The most notable predictors of overall health are attendance in religious services, race, and family income with religious preference and gender not appearing to have any significant impact on health.
Investigating Perceptions of Health in the U.S: The Interplay of Religion and Sociodemographic Characteristics
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Despite advances in healthcare, health disparities remain globally. This study investigates the complex relationship between religion, income, age, race, and overall health. In particular, I investigated how religious affiliation and practices affect perceptions of overall health while controlling for socio-demographic and economic factors such as gender, race, and income. This study contributes to a better understanding of the multifaceted determinants of health. Existing literature suggests a nuanced interplay between religion and/or spirituality, socio-demographic characteristics, and various health outcomes (Koenig et al., 2013). While some studies highlight the positive contributions of religion and spirituality to mental and/or physical health (Roger & Hatala, 2018; Oman & Lukoff, 2018; Shattuck & Muehlenbein, 2020), it is crucial to note that these effects are not always uniform across the board. Overall health can be influenced by factors such as religious denomination, individual characteristics, and the broader socio-demographic context (Hood et al., 2009; Koenig et al., 2013). I used the General Social Survey (GSS) 2022 dataset with a representative sample of 3,544 U.S. adults, 18 and above, living in noninstitutional housing at the time of the interview. The dataset also had 601 additional completes from an oversample of Black, Hispanic, and Asian respondents from the NORC AmeriSpeak® Panel. In the survey, respondents provided information on gender, race, income, and their religious background (attendance and affiliation). The family income (coninc) and religious attendance (attend) variables assess the inflation-adjusted total family income for respondents ranging between $1 and $999,999 and self-reported levels of religious attendance, respectively. For this analysis, I ran an ordinal logistic regression to determine if there is a significant relationship between religion, race, gender, and income and the overall self-reported health of respondents. The full analysis is ongoing but preliminary analysis and existing literature indicate that the predictor variables (religious attendance, race, gender, and family income) have a significant impact on respondent’s perceptions of overall health, albeit to varying degrees. The most notable predictors of overall health are attendance in religious services, race, and family income with religious preference and gender not appearing to have any significant impact on health.