| Description: |
Elevated levels of C-reactive Protein (CRP), a biomarker of systemic inflammation, are associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Religious attendance and religiosity/spirituality are associated with better cognitive health, yet the underlying physiological mechanisms are not well understood. We examined the association between religious service attendance, religiosity/spirituality, and CRP levels in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 50 years and older (n=6,652) from the Health and Retirement Study from 2006 to 2014. The mean age was 70.7(9.32) years, 84.4% were White, 58.4% were female, and mean CRP levels were 3.98 (8.50) ug/mL. Utilizing the generalized estimating equation (GEE), a significant negative association was found between religious service attendance and religiosity/spirituality with average CRP levels, even after controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, race/ethnicity, income, body mass index (BMI), and health conditions (diabetes, cancer, hypertension) [B: -0.39, 95% CI:-0.76,-0.03, p |