Article

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between religiousness and mental health,
hospitalization, pain, disability and quality of life in older adults from an
outpatient rehabilitation setting in Sao Paulo, Brazil. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
study. PATIENTS: A total of 110 patients aged 60 years or older were
interviewed during attendance at an outpatient rehabilitation service. METHODS:
Researchers administered a standardized questionnaire that assessed
socio-demographic data, religiousness, self-reported quality of life, anxiety,
physical activity limitation, depression, pain and cognition. Predictors were
included in each model analysis, and a backward conditional method was used for
variable selection using logistic regression (categorical outcomes) or linear
regression (continuous outcomes). RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (28.2%) fulfilled
criteria for significant depressive symptoms, 27 (24.5%) for anxiety, and 10
(9.6%) for cognitive impairment. Pain was present in 89 (80.7%) patients. Limited
depressive symptoms (as assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale), and greater
self-reported quality of life were related to greater self-reported
religiousness, as were scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (less
cognitive impairment), and lower ratings of pain. CONCLUSION: Religiousness is
related to significantly less depressive symptoms, better quality of life, less
cognitive impairment, and less perceived pain. Clinicians should consider taking
a spiritual history and ensuring that spiritual needs are addressed among older
patients in rehabilitation settings.

Langue : ANGLAIS