Examining attachment to God and health risk-taking behaviors in college students.
Drawing on insights from attachment theory, this study examined whether three types of attachment to God--secure, avoidant, and anxious--were associated with health-risk behaviors, over and above the effects of religious attendance, peer support, and demographic covariates, in a sample of 328 undergraduate college students. Contrary to prior theory, secure attachment to God is not inversely associated with recent alcohol or marijuana use, or substance use prior to last sexual intercourse. Instead, avoidant and anxious attachment to God are associated with higher levels of drinking; anxious attachment to God is associated with marijuana use; and avoidant attachment to God is associated with substance use prior to last sexual intercourse. These patterns are gender-specific; problematic attachment to God is linked with negative outcomes solely among men.
Horton
Karissa D
KD
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA. karissa@mail.utexas.edu
Ellison
Christopher G
CG
Loukas
Alexandra
A
Downey
Darcy L
DL
Barrett
Jennifer B
JB
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012067:Religion; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012309:Risk-Taking; D029181:Spirituality; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult