Social Isolation and Religious Service Attendance Among Black Older Adults

This study examines how religious service attendance is associated with social isolation among Black older adults. Data came from the psychosocial leave-behind questionnaire in the 2016 and 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative panel study which oversamples for Black older adults. Five different types of social isolation were examined in the current study: overall isolation, child isolation, extended family isolation, friend isolation, and disengagement from social activities. Approximately 10 percent of Black older adults were socially isolated overall, 22 percent were isolated from their adult children, 19 percent were isolated from extended family members, 21 percent were isolated from their friends, and 28 percent were disengaged from social activities. As expected, religious service attendance was associated with multiple types of social isolation among Black older adults. Black older adults who did not attend religious services were more likely to be socially isolated overall, socially isolated from extended family members, socially isolated from friends, and disengaged from social activities. These findings highlight the church’s role as both a religious and social institution and emphasize its broader implications in shaping social connections in older Black adults.