Religious Activity Participation and Self-Rated Health among Older Population in Indonesia

A number of studies have documented a positive and robust relationship between religious activity and health outcomes.The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between religious activity participation and self-rated health (SRH) among older population in Indonesia. Data were obtained from 2,915 respondents 60 years and older from the Indonesian Family Life Survey 4 (2007). SRH was assessed by a single-item health measure with four options: “very healthy,” “somewhat healthy,” “somewhat unhealthy,” and “unhealthy”. Logistic regression were used to examine the relationship of the religious activity participation and SRH. Bivariate analysis revealed that religious activity participation was significantly associated with SRH. Multivariate analysis shows that among participants who participated in religious activity, the likehood of a better SRH is increased (OR = 1.422; 95% CI = 1.203 to 1.682) after controlling for sociodemographic variables, socio-economic status (SES), health behaviour and number of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). This findings suggest that religious activity participation has an important effect on self-rated health status.Longitudinal studies are needed to help elucidate mechanisms and the order and direction of effects.