The Association of Spirituality & Memory in Older Black and White U.S. Adults

This study investigates associations between religiousness and spirituality with memory and executive function among cognitively unimpaired older Black and White adults. We examined data from the Aging Brain Cohort (ABC) at The University of Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center from 2021-2022. Participants who reported higher spirituality but not religiousness had better memory but not executive function, controlling for age, education, sex, and social interaction. Greater spirituality is associated with better memory among older Black and White Americans in this sample, informing a greater understanding of the underlying connection between spirituality and cognitive health.