Religion as a Social Control: A Longitudinal Study of Religious Involvement and Substance Use

Abstract

The study examines the longitudinal relationship between religious involvement and substance use within emerging adulthood, accounting for changes in religious involvement over time and exploring variations across age, sex, race/ethnicity, and substance (i.e., alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs). To this end, random effects models are used focusing on 11 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997. The findings demonstrate that increases in religious attendance are associated with reduced odds of all forms of substance use. In addition, the religious attendance–substance use relationship becomes weaker with age. Overall, religious attendance has a similar relationship with substance use among males and females, as well as Whites and non-Whites, with a few notable exceptions.

Does the Association between Religiosity and Substance Use Vary between Adolescence and Early Adulthood?

“…Also, the association between personal religiosity and smoking became stronger during adolescence compared to early adulthood. This finding is similar to the findings of Guo and Metcalfe (2018) and Button et al. (2010).…”

“…The differences in the direction of the change for the personal religiosity and smoking seem to indicate that different mechanisms may lead to this change. Guo and Metcalfe (2018) argue that religion may have a bigger impact on substance use during adolescence because it limits opportunities for deviant behaviors and influences adolescent peer groups. It is possible that the latter reason (i.e., indirect influence through peer affiliations) may explain the stronger influence of personal religiosity on smoking during adolescence.…”

“…Guo and Metcalfe (2018) found that the relationship between religious attendance and substance use weakens with age. Similarly, Button et al.…”

“…They argue that the influence of social institutions (e.g., the family, religion, and the media) and other individuals (e.g., parents and peers) on whether someone chooses to engage in deviant behaviors varies with age; with childhood institutions (e.g., school, family) setting individuals on a particular deviance trajectory. The mechanisms that lead to this variation are changes in the quality and/or strength of the social bonds that connect individuals with institutions and other individuals as they age (Guo and Metcalfe 2018).…”

“…2015), a very few studies have explored whether the strength and/or direction of the association varies as individuals progress through the life course (Button et al. 2010; Guo and Metcalfe 2018; Hill and Pollock 2015; Jang and Johnson 2001; Yonker et al. 2012).…”