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Religious involvement and subjective wellbeing among older adults in Taiwan: exploring gender and age differences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2024

Keqing Zhang ,
Wei Zhang Open the ORCID record for Wei Zhang [Opens in a new window] ,
Christopher G. Ellison  and
Wei-Pang Wang
Keqing Zhang
Affiliation:
School of English and International Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
Wei Zhang*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
Christopher G. Ellison
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Demography, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
Wei-Pang Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Tunghai University, Taichung City, Taiwan
*
Corresponding author: Wei Zhang; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This study addresses a significant knowledge gap in the literature by examining the relationship between religious involvement and subjective wellbeing (SWB) among older adults in Taiwan, a cultural context that has been underrepresented in existing research, with a focus on gender and age differences. Using data collected in Taichung City in 2017 (N = 645), this study measured religious involvement through religious affiliation, religiosity and frequency of religious participation, and assessed SWB via life satisfaction and happiness. Findings revealed no significant association between religious involvement and life satisfaction. However, religious participation was positively correlated with happiness. Gender differences were observed: Buddhism and Taoism were positively associated with life satisfaction among males, whereas religiosity and religious participation were significantly related to life satisfaction and happiness among females. Age disparities were also found, with religiosity significantly relating to both life satisfaction and happiness in the old-old group (70–89 years) but not in the young-old group (60–69 years). These findings highlight the nuanced associations between religious involvement and SWB, emphasising the importance of considering gender and age variations in future research. Future studies should further explore the cultural contexts that shape these relationships and examine other potential mediating factors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how religious involvement influences wellbeing across different demographic groups.

Keywords

happinesslife satisfactionreligious involvementsubjective wellbeing
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , First View , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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