ABSTRACT
Rural older adults, therefore, have a strong relationship with religion and spirituality based both on their late life stage and their rural location. Americans incorporate the sacred into their lives through conventional church-based religion and more individualized spirituality. Supporting the argument that the distinction between religion and spirituality is more conceptual than empirical, rural older adults equally embrace both terms: 77% identify as moderately or very spiritual, and the exact same proportion consider themselves moderately or very religious. Compared to non-rural older adults and younger rural residents, older rural Americans also identify as more spiritual. Spiritual and religious beliefs, affiliations, and practices provide social, emotional, and health-related support during late adulthood. In regard to spirituality, baby boomers are transitioning into becoming older adults, so spirituality practices are on the rise among the population of older adults. This suggests that spirituality practices may become more relevant to the well-being of older adults than traditional religious activities.
