Religious Correlates of Life Satisfaction among African Americans and Black Caribbeans: The Significance of Organizational and Subjective Dimensions of Religion

Abstract Life satisfaction is a primary indicator of subjective well-being and is associated with positive psychological status and an overall sense of well-being. This study examined the association between life satisfaction and four dimensions of religion (i.e., organizational religion, nonorganizational religion, subjective religion, and religious coping). The sample consisted of 3,570 African Americans and 1,621 Blacks of Caribbean descent drawn from the National Survey of American Life (2001–2003). Separate linear regression models were constructed for each group to investigate the relationship between life satisfaction and eight measures of religion used to operationalize the four dimensions. All analyses controlled for demographic characteristics, family income, and number of chronic physical health problems. The results indicate organized religious involvement (i.e., service attendance) and subjective religiousness (i.e., self-rating of religiousness) are positively associated with life satisfaction for both groups, while nonorganizational religious activities and religious coping are unrelated to life satisfaction. The results underscore the significance of the organizational and subjective dimensions of religion for life satisfaction among both African Americans and Black Caribbeans. Accordingly, practitioners should conduct a spiritual assessment to identify the potential role that various religious dimensions may play in enhancing wellness in the lives of their Black clients.