Religiosity and behavioral health outcomes of adolescents living in disaster-vulnerable areas.
The influence of religiosity on behavioral health outcomes among adolescents living in disaster-prone areas has been understudied. This study utilized data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2005-2010) to examine the relationship between religion, depression, marijuana use, and binge drinking. The sample included 12,500 adolescents residing in the Gulf Coast region of the USA. Results show that religious salience was directly related to depression, marijuana, and binge drinking. It was also indirectly related to both substance use outcomes through depression. Religious service attendance was unrelated to any of the outcomes. Implications of the findings are discussed.
School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA, trose@ssw.umaryland.edu.
Theda
T
Rose
Joseph
J
Shields
Stephen
S
Tueller
Sharon
S
Larson
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires