NCJ Number
136311
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1992) Pages: 91-104
Date Published
1992
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study used homogeneous effects cumulative logistic regression to examine the effects of personal religiosity on adolescent self-reported frequency of drug and alcohol use.
Abstract
Survey data were obtained from a sample of 3,065 male and female adolescents in grades 7 through 12 in three midwestern States. Respondents were asked about the frequency of their use of marijuana, beer, wine, liquor, stimulants, depressants, psychedelics, and narcotics. Respondents were also asked to assess their level of religiosity and indicate their participation in various religious activities. A review of the literature revealed three rival hypotheses regarding variation in the strength of religiosity-substance use relationships across drug types. The "anti-asceticism" hypothesis predicts stronger relationships among the "softer" drug types, and the "moral condemnation" hypothesis predicts stronger relationships among the "harder" drugs. The "hellfire" hypothesis predicts stable effects across drug types. Data from the current survey strongly support the more general "hellfire" hypothesis. There were equivalent parameter estimates for the effects of religiosity for each drug type; however, there were slightly weaker effects for alcohol use. 2 tables and 29 references