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. 2020 Dec 16;4(Suppl 1):593. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1992

Desire for Spiritual Growth: A Neglected Outcome Variable

Julie Hicks Patrick 1, Alexandria Ebert 1, Amy Knepple Carney 2
PMCID: PMC7741549

Abstract

Social support facilitates reaching health-related goals, but has rarely been examined in relation to achieving religious/spiritual (R/S) goals. Using data from 300+ adults (M age = 40.3, range 18 to 87 yrs) , we examine the prevalence of R/S goals and the influence of age and social interactions on reaching these goals. Multinomial logistic regressions showed that adults who did not have a goal to be more religious/spiritual reported fewer positive interactions, fewer negative interactions, and were younger than those who continued to work toward their R/S goals. Those who had the intention to become more R/S but were not working toward it were younger than those who persisted. The importance of R/S goals are discussed within the context of other self-improvement goals. Unique aspects of these goals and the ways in which social interactions support achieving these goals are highlighted.


Articles from Innovation in Aging are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

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