Alcohol use and religiousness/spirituality among adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies indicate that religiousness is associated with lower levels of substance use among adolescents, but less is known about the relationship between spirituality and substance use. The objective of this study was to determine the association between adolescents' use of alcohol and specific aspects of religiousness and spirituality.


METHODS
Twelve- to 18-year-old patients coming for routine medical care at three primary care sites completed a modified Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality; the Spiritual Connectedness Scale; and a past-90-days alcohol use Timeline Followback calendar. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the association between each religiousness/spirituality measure and odds of any past-90-days alcohol use, controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and clinic site. Timeline Followback data were dichotomized to indicate any past-90-days alcohol use and religiousness/spirituality scale scores were z-transformed for analysis.


RESULTS
Participants (n = 305) were 67% female, 74% Hispanic or black, and 45% from two-parent families. Mean +/- SD age was 16.0 +/- 1.8 years. Approximately 1/3 (34%) reported past-90-day alcohol use. After controlling for demographics and clinic site, Religiousness/Spirituality scales that were not significantly associated with alcohol use included: Commitment (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.36, 1.79), Organizational Religiousness (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.64, 1.07), Private Religious Practices (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.80, 1.10), and Religious and Spiritual Coping--Negative (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.91, 1.23). All of these are measures of religiousness, except for Religious and Spiritual Coping--Negative. Scales that were significantly and negatively associated with alcohol use included: Forgiveness (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.73), Religious and Spiritual Coping--Positive (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.51-0.84), Daily Spiritual Experiences (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.54-0.84), and Belief (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.68-0.83), which are all measures of spirituality. In a multivariable model that included all significant measures, however, only Forgiveness remained as a significant negative correlate of alcohol use (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.41, 0.74).


CONCLUSIONS
Forgiveness is associated with a lowered risk of drinking during adolescence.
Knight
John R
JR
Department of Pediatrics and the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. john.knight@childrens.harvard.edu
Sherritt
Lon
L
Harris
Sion Kim
SK
Holder
David W
DW
Kulig
John
J
Shrier
Lydia A
LA
Gabrielli
Joy
J
Chang
Grace
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012067:Religion; D026443:Spiritual Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires