Racial Differences in Adolescent Drug Use: The Impact of Religion

• NCJ Number: 164146
• Journal: Substance Use and Misuse Volume: 31 Issue: 10 Dated: (1996) Pages: 1311-1332
• Author(s): C H Amey; S L Albrecht; M K Miller
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 22 pages
• Grant Number(s): CSR-000001
• Sponsoring Agency: US Department Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Data from a national survey of high school seniors formed the basis of an analysis of the extent to which differences in religiosity are responsible for differences in juvenile drug use among black and white youth.

Abstract

Contrary to popular stereotypes, current studies of adolescent populations suggest that black teenagers are less likely to use illicit drugs than are white teenagers. The present study used data from 11,728 students who described themselves as black or white in the Monitoring the Future survey conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Religiosity was measured by means of three variables: religious affiliation, religious importance, and religious attendance. Results confirmed the greater importance of religion in the lives of black adolescents than white adolescents. The results also indicated that religion does provide some protection from drug use by adolescents. However, religiosity has less of an impact on the drug use of black adolescents than white adolescents, perhaps as a result of the diverse roles of the black church. Tables and 60 references (Author abstract modified)