Longitudinal Investigation of Religiosity Trajectories A Latent Class Growth Analysis

This study examines patterns of change and stability in religious practices among Polish Catholics, based on a twenty-year longitudinal population-based study (1988-2008). Latent growth analysis confirms that the level of church attendance has decreased slightly, and this decrease is not the same for all respondents. Three different groups of trajectories can be distinguished: (a) 47.3 percent of participants are characterized by high levels and stability of church attendance; (b) 33.5 percent of respondents belong to a trajectory class characterized by a slightly lower initial level of attendance, which decreased; (c) 19.2 percent of participants are characterized by very low levels of initial church attendance and the most rapid decrease. The authors also identify a number of social and personal characteristics that predict belonging to different types of trajectories. Gender, age, place of residence, elementary school location, number of people in household, level of education, region of residence, and communist party membership predicted membership in three trajectory classes.