Re-examining religiosity as a protective factor: comparing alcohol use by self-identified religious, spiritual, and secular college students

The interaction between Greek affiliation and religiosity on problem drinking in college students

Objective: Greek affiliation is associated with increased problem drinking in college, while religiosity typically offers protective benefits. The current study examined the interaction between Greek status and religiosity-both public (e.g., religious attendance) and private (e.g., prayer frequency)-on problem drinking. Participants and Methods: Undergraduates (N = 477) completed an online survey battery in late spring 2019, at the end of their freshman year. Results: Analyses focused on prayer frequency were not significant; however, the two-way interaction between Greek affiliation and religious attendance was significant. There was no difference in problem drinking across Greek and non-Greek students when religious attendance was low. As frequency of religious attendance increased, Greek students engaged in increased problem drinking compared to non-Greek students. Conclusions: Greek involvement may undermine the protective authority of religious practices on problem drinking, in part through moral licensing, whereby morally sound behaviors (i.e., religious attendance) may justify past or future problem drinking.

Religiosity as a mediating factor in alcohol use and alcohol related problems among students attending a historically black college (HBCU)

Previous research suggests that students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) frequently have lower rates of drinking and alcohol-related problems. The etiology of such findings is still under debate although some research has suggested the African-American religious experience might account for the differences. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive picture of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and religiosity among HBCU students and to test the hypothesis that religiosity moderates problematic drinking behavior. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the College Alcohol Problems Scale Revised (CAPS-R), the Religious Maturity Scale, and the Salience in Religious Commitment Scale was administered to 144 students at a small southern HBCU. We found that, overall, the subjects were moderate drinkers and experienced few alcohol-related problems. The relationship between religiosity and alcohol-related problems was complex and gender mediated that relationship. The results suggest that although religiosity may act as a buffer to alcohol abuse in some HBCU students, it cannot fully account for the differences in alcohol use between students at HBCUs and other institutions.

Expressing Discrepancies between Religious Affiliations and Drinking Reduces Drinking Intentions

The majority of young adults express a religious affiliation. Most widely-practiced religions have some proscriptions against excessive drinking and/or drunkenness. Yet many religious college students engage in drinking in excess of these proscriptions, albeit at lower levels than non-religious students. At present, virtually no empirically-evaluated brief interventions in this population have directly incorporated religious affiliation.

OBJECTIVE

The present study evaluated an expressive writing intervention that elicits awareness and expression of discrepancy between religious affiliation and drinking behaviors, especially for students expressing moderate to high subjective religiousness and drinking levels. We expected discrepancy to result in lower drinking intentions.

METHOD

Undergraduate students (N=344) were randomly assigned to a 2 (priming: religious affiliation vs. college major) X 2 (comparison of current drinking with: religious affiliation vs. college major) expressive writing design in which those in the experimental condition were asked to describe how their current drinking fit with their religious affiliation.

RESULTS

Writing about the fit between current drinking and one's religious affiliation (versus college major) was associated with expressing more discrepancy, which was, in turn, associated with intentions to reduce drinking. No effects were found for priming, nor for the interaction between priming and comparison. Subjective religiousness and current drinking were evaluated as moderators of the indirect effect of comparing one's current drinking and religious affiliation on future drinking intentions through expressed discrepancy. The effect of comparison on discrepancy was stronger at higher levels of subjective religiousness. The association between discrepancy and intentions to reduce drinking was stronger for heavier drinkers, especially when also accompanied by higher subjective religiousness.

CONCLUSION

Results provide preliminary support for a novel intervention strategy with the potential to reduce drinking in a significant proportion of students that has previously received little consideration.

Contrasting the effects of harmonious and obsessive passion for religion on stress and drinking: Give me that old time religion … and a beer

Research has established two types of passion (i.e., harmonious and obsessive) for several activities, behaviors, and relationships (Vallerand & Houlfourt, 2003). Harmonious passion is characterized by an autonomous orientation toward an activity, while obsessive passion is characterized by a more controlled orientation toward an activity. Similar but not congruent conceptualizations of approaches to religion have been explored. Moreover, the preponderance of research suggests that religiousness is associated with decreased problematic alcohol use. However, little research has been done into contrasting approaches to religious devotion. We explored harmonious and obsessive passion for religious beliefs and practices and their association with alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Perceived stress and satisfaction with life were examined as mediators. Participants included 707 undergraduate students (54.8% female) from a large southwestern university who were recruited as a part of a larger alcohol-related intervention trial. Data were collected at three time points: baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up, and were analyzed prospectively, with passion and mental health at time 1 and time 2 predicting alcohol outcomes at time 2 and time 3. The indirect effects of both obsessive passion and harmonious passion on alcohol problems through perceived stress were significant, and in opposite directions. Additionally, moderation analyses showed that both obsessive and harmonious passion for religion moderated the associations between perceived stress and drinking and between perceived stress and alcohol problems.

Religious and spiritual struggles, religiousness, and alcohol problems among undergraduates

Theoretically, religion/spirituality may protect against alcohol problems or facilitate recovery. However, challenges can arise in religious/spiritual life that may contribute to or complicate alcohol problems. Emerging adults often experience difficult transitions from family environments to independent membership in academic communities straddling the legal drinking age boundary. Among underage undergraduates, we hypothesized that religious/spiritual struggles predict more alcohol problems independently of distress and religiousness, and religiousness independently predicts fewer alcohol problems. Our survey of two U.S. universities (total N = 2525) supported these hypotheses. Structural equation models revealed positive correlations between alcohol problems and all six religious/spiritual struggles (divine, demonic, interpersonal, moral, ultimate meaning, doubt), but only moral struggle predicted alcohol problems moderately and independently of religiousness, distress, gender, and non/white ethnicity. Evidence also emerged for negative correlations between religious/spiritual struggles and drinking as it varies independently of alcohol problems. We recommend that alcoholism counselors address clients' religious/spiritual struggles.

Religion, Nonreligion, and Deviance: Comparing Faith's and Family's Relative Strength in Promoting Social Conformity

The view that religion, as a source of moral guidance and social support, can function to prevent or protect individuals, especially children and adolescents, from a range of deviant and delinquent behaviors is largely (but not completely) born out in the literature. In nations with strong religious identities such as the USA, there is a normative expectation that adolescents who identify with religion are less likely to engage in deviant behavior than those who claim no religion. The present study explores this issue using data from over 10,000 American middle school and high school youth to examine the relationship between religion, nonreligion, and various forms of deviance. Results indicate that youth who identify with a religious (rather than nonreligious) label are not less likely to be involved in deviant acts after controlling for protective factors. The effects from some of these protective factors are significant and stronger than the effects from religion.

Vulnerability to alcohol consumption, spiritual transcendence and psychosocial well-being: test of a theory

OBJECTIVE

to demonstrate the relations among vulnerability, self-transcendence and well-being in the young adult population and the effect of each of these variables on the adoption of low-risk consumption conducts.

METHOD

quantitative and cross-sectional correlation study using structural equations analysis to test the relation among the variables.

RESULTS

an inverse relation was evidenced between vulnerability to alcohol consumption and spiritual transcendence (β-0.123, p 0.025) and a direct positive relation between spiritual transcendence and psychosocial well-being (β 0.482, p 0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

the relations among the variables spiritual transcendence, vulnerability to alcohol consumption and psychosocial well-being, based on Reed's Theory, are confirmed in the population group of young college students, concluding that psychosocial well-being can be achieved when spiritual transcendence is enhanced, as the vulnerability to alcohol consumption drops.

OBJETIVO

demonstrar as relações entre vulnerabilidade, autotranscendência e bem-estar na população adulta jovem e o efeito de cada uma destas variáveis na adoção de condutas de baixo risco de consumo.

MÉTODO

estudo quantitativo, transversal do tipo correlacional que utilizou a análise estatística de Equações Estruturais para comprovar a relação entre as variáveis.

RESULTADOS

evidenciou-se uma relação inversa entre a vulnerabilidade ao consumo do álcool e a transcendência espiritual (β-0.123, p 0.025) e uma relação direta positiva entre a transcendência espiritual e o bem-estar psicossocial (β 0.482, p 0.000). Conclusões: as relações das variáveis transcendência espiritual, vulnerabilidade ao consumo do álcool e bem-estar psicossocial, fundamentadas na Teoria de Reed, são confirmadas no grupo populacional de jovens adultos universitários, concluindo que é possível alcançar o bem-estar psicossocial quando se incrementa a transcendência espiritual, enquanto a vulnerabilidade ao consumo do álcool se reduz.

OBJETIVO

demostrar las relaciones entre vulnerabilidad, autotrascendencia y bienestar en la población adulta joven y el efecto de cada una de estas variables en la adopción de conductas de bajo riesgo de consumo.

MÉTODO

estudio de abordaje cuantitativo, trasversal de tipo correlacional que utilizó el análisis estadístico de Ecuaciones Estructurales para la comprobación de la relación entre las variables.

RESULTADOS

se evidenció relación inversa entre la vulnerabilidad al consumo de alcohol y la trascendencia espiritual (β-0.123, p 0.025) y una relación directa positiva entre la trascendencia espiritual y el bienestar psicosocial (β 0.482, p 0.000).

CONCLUSIONES

las relaciones de las variables trascendencia espiritual, vulnerabilidad al consumo de alcohol y bienestar psicosocial, fundamentadas en la Teoría de Reed, son confirmadas en el grupo poblacional de adultos jóvenes universitarios, concluyendo que es posible alcanzar el bienestar psicosocial cuando se incrementa la trascendencia espiritual, en tanto que la vulnerabilidad al consumo de alcohol se reduce.

Just Add a Verse from the Quran: Effects of Religious Rhetoric in Gain- and Loss-Framed Anti-Alcohol Messages with a Palestinian Sample

This experiment investigated the effects of message framing (gain vs. loss) and religious rhetoric (religious vs. non-religious) on the expression of anti-alcohol civic intentions with a sample (N = 80) of Palestinian young adults. Results showed that the main effects of message framing (gain > loss) and religious rhetoric (non-religious > religious) on anti-alcohol civic intentions were significant. Furthermore, the study showed that viral behavioral intentions were strongly and significantly associated with expressing anti-alcohol civic intentions, with larger explanatory power for gain-framed PSAs that used a religious rhetoric. Additionally, a serial mediation model showed that the effect of religious rhetoric on anti-alcohol civic intentions was successfully mediated by the serial combination of attitudes toward the PSA and viral behavioral intention for gain-framed PSAs, but not for loss-framed PSAs. Findings are discussed within the framework of persuasion models.

Harmful alcohol use and alcohol-related sex expectancies as predictors of risky sex among african american female college drinkers

African American college women are experiencing sex-related negative consequences at alarming rates. Alcohol use and alcohol-related sex expectancies are predictors of risky sexual behavior among college women; however, African American college women are often underrepresented in empirical studies. The purpose of the present study was to examine the link between alcohol-related sex expectancies (i.e., enhancement, sexual risk taking, and disinhibition expectancies), alcohol use, and risky sexual behavior among a sample of 222 sexually active African American female college drinkers. Participants completed measures assessing alcohol-related sex expectancies, typical weekly drinking, harmful alcohol use, and risky sexual behavior. Results indicated that combined sexual risk taking and disinhibition alcohol-related sex expectancies predicted both typical weekly drinking and harmful alcohol use. In addition, enhancement alcohol-related sex expectancies and harmful alcohol use predicted risky sexual behavior; however, typical weekly drinking did not. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Assessing Whether Religious Behaviors and Positive and Negative Affect are Associated with Alcohol Use and Abuse Among a Sample of College Students Living in the Midwest

Alcohol use and abuse are a problem on college campuses. Religious behaviors (religious attendance, prayer, and importance) have been shown to be a protective factor against alcohol use among college students. This study examined the role religious behaviors and positive and negative affect had on drinking (alcohol use and alcohol to intoxication). College students (765) completed an online survey. The results showed that college students who attended religious services were less likely to use alcohol than those who did not attend religious services. The results have important implications for college administrators and policy makers. Limitations and future research will be discussed.

Investigating the interlinkages of alcohol use and misuse, spirituality and culture - Insights from a systematic review

Religious values are part of cultures, but spirituality is an internal dimension which may be present in varying degrees across all nations. As both cultural and spiritual factors are important in determining the pattern of alcohol consumption by individuals, it is important to study the relationships between them. The present systematic review aims to summarize the knowledge on the relationship between alcohol use and misuse, religiousness/spirituality and culture drawn from medical studies. Data from the medical literature to date indicate that for some racial and ethnic minorities a return to the traditional culture linked with concepts of spiritual or religious factors can produce a major degree of support for people trying to maintain abstinence from alcohol. This can be seen even in the worst environments. On the other hand, among the general population, religion and/or spirituality can play a positive role in the maintenance of abstinence, but a local heavy drinking culture is a strong risk factor for relapse. These factors are important and can be used for interventions and prevention strategies. However, possible mediating effects need to be explored further. It is likely that both types of intervention (classical medical treatment plus spiritual-based treatment) may work in individuals.