The relationship between religiosity and adjustment among African-American, female, urban adolescents.
African-American female adolescents living in urban environments are at risk for adverse adjustment outcomes, and thus it is imperative to identify protective factors. Religion has been found to be a significant protective resource against many types of maladaptive adjustment outcomes among adolescent samples. The present study accomplishes the following: (1) Provides a description of religiosity in a sample of African-American female teens; (2) examines religion as a resource for these adolescents by focusing on the association between religiosity and sexual activity, self-esteem, and general psychological functioning. Four-hundred ninety-two African-American females, ages 12-19, completed measures on religiosity, sexual activity, self-esteem, and psychological functioning. Most of the adolescents identified as Christian, reported a belief in God, and attended religious services. Greater overall religiosity was associated with greater self-esteem and better psychological functioning. Adolescents at different levels of self-religiosity, as well as family religiosity, evidenced significantly different self-esteem but not psychological distress or sexual activity. Adolescents with varying levels of church attendance demonstrated differences on all three outcomes. By identifying the ways in which religion may exert a positive impact on African-American female teens, mental health professionals can design interventions that have the potential to help improve the quality of life for these adolescents.
Ball
Joanna
J
Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, 33 Gilmer Street, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Armistead
Lisa
L
Austin
Barbara-jeanne
BJ
D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012071:Religion and Sex; D012649:Self Concept; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment; D014505:Urban Population