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For 50 years, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) has supported and promoted research on religious involvement among older adult populations. NIA funding of research on religious involvement has (i) broadened our understanding of how religious involvement is conceptualized and measured; (ii) explored the important role of social networks and interactions within religious communities in relation to congregants' health; (iii) supported research on national samples of the U.S. population that explore demographic variability in religious practices and beliefs, as well as their social correlates; and (iv) examined health-relevant frameworks and topics in relation to religion's association with physical and mental health and well-being. This article focuses on research on African Americans and Mexican Americans as well as comparative work involving non-Latino Whites. Selected topics in religion and aging include Conceptualization and Measurement of Religious Participation; Religious Participation; Religion and Mental Health; Religion and Physical Health, Church-Based Informal Support, Church Support, and Mental and Physical Health; Religious Coping; and the Use of Clergy for serious problems. NIA's long record of support for scholarship and research has significantly enriched our understanding of why and how religion matters for the health and social well-being of diverse populations of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life satisfaction and happiness are related but distinct assessments of life quality with established links to sociodemographic and health factors. Despite a rich literature on quality of life, there remains a paucity of research on this topic among African Americans. This investigation explored (1) the sociodemographic correlates of life satisfaction and happiness and (2) how life satisfaction and happiness are related to health factors and adversity-relevant life circumstances. Ordinary least squares regression was used to identify correlates of life satisfaction and happiness among a nationally representative sample of African American adults (National Survey of American Life). Findings confirmed several sociodemographic and health correlates, as well as unique differences. Regional differences indicated that residents in the Northeast had lower life satisfaction ratings, while those in the West had higher happiness ratings. Education was negatively related to both life satisfaction and happiness. Self-rated physical health and oral health and adversity-relevant life circumstances were associated with both life satisfaction and happiness. In contrast, self-rated childhood health and experiences of everyday racial discrimination were only associated with happiness, while being a parent was only associated with lower life satisfaction. Noted differences suggest that, while related, satisfaction and happiness represent distinct assessments of life quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]