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Religiosity, race/ethnicity, and alcohol use behaviors in the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2016

J. L. Meyers ,
Q. Brown ,
B. F. Grant  and
D. Hasin
J. L. Meyers*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Q. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
B. F. Grant
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
D. Hasin
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: J. L. Meyers, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 1203, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Religiosity is a protective factor against many health problems, including alcohol use disorders (AUD). Studies suggest that religiosity has greater buffering effects on mental health problems among US Blacks and Hispanics than Whites. However, whether race/ethnic differences exist in the associations of religiosity, alcohol consumption and AUD is unclear.

Method

Using 2004–2005 NESARC data (analytic n = 21 965), we examined the relationship of public religiosity (i.e. frequency of service attendance, religious social group size), and intrinsic religiosity (i.e. importance of religious/spiritual beliefs) to frequency of alcohol use and DSM-IV AUD in non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks, Hispanics and NH Whites, and whether associations differed by self-identified race/ethnicity.

Results

Only public religiosity was related to AUD. Frequency of religious service attendance was inversely associated with AUD (NH Whites β: −0.103, p < 0.001; NH Blacks β: −0.115, p < 0.001; Hispanics β: −0.096, p < 0.001). This association was more robust for NH Blacks as compared with NH Whites and Hispanics (interaction β: 0.025, p < 0.001). Among NH Whites, higher intrinsic religiosity was inversely associated with alcohol use frequency (β: −0.143, p < 0.001). These effects were more robust among NH Whites (interaction (β: 0.072, p < 0.033) than for NH Blacks (β: −0.080, p > 0.05) or Hispanics (β: −0.002, p > 0.05).

Conclusions

US adults reporting greater public religiosity were at lower risk for AUD. Public religiosity may be particularly important among NH Blacks, while intrinsic religiosity may be particularly important among NH Whites, and among Hispanics who frequently attend religious services. Findings may be explained by variation in drinking-related norms observed among these groups generally, and in the context of specific religious institutions.

Keywords

Alcohol usealcohol use disorderNESARCracereligiosityspirituality
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , January 2017 , pp. 103 - 114
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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