Article January 16, 1995 Issue

Senior citizens and baby boomers

In this week's column the Sentinel looks at the role that religion plays in the lives of older Americans; and at the way in which baby boomers have discovered organized religion.

In a broadcast of the program All Things Considered on National Public Radio in the United States a few weeks ago, reporter Wendy Schmeltzer pointed out that researchers are just beginning to appreciate the role that religion plays in the lives of older Americans.

As a group, she said, the elderly tend to be religious. More than half of them attend services at least once a week, and more than 95 percent of them say they believe in God. Until recently, the focus has been on the spiritual, social, and community support that religion can provide. Now, researchers are beginning to explore whether being religious offers another benefit—better health.

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