Advanced search
Start date
Betweenand
(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Religion as a protective factor against drug use among brazilian university students: a national survey

Full text
Author(s):
Gomes, Fernanda Carolina [1] ; de Andrade, Arthur Guerra [1, 2] ; Izbicki, Rafael [3] ; Almeida, Alexander Moreira [4] ; de Oliveira, Lucio Garcia [1, 2]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept & Inst Psychiat, Interdisciplinary Grp Studies Alcohol & Drugs GRE, BR-05403903 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept & Inst Psychiat, BR-05403903 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Math & Stat, BR-05403903 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[4] Univ Fed Juiz de Fora, Res Ctr Spiritual & Hlth NUPES, Juiz De Fora, MG - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 4
Document type: Journal article
Source: Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria; v. 35, n. 1, p. 29-37, FEB 2013.
Web of Science Citations: 26
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between religiosity and drug use among Brazilian university students. METHODS: This manuscript is part of the "First Nationwide Survey on the Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs among College Students in the 27 Brazilian State Capitals". In this study, 12,595 university students were divided into two groups according to their attendance at religious services: frequent attenders (FR; 39.1%) and non-frequent attenders (NFR; 60.8%). Subsequently, we analyzed their responses to a structured, anonymous questionnaire on drug use and other behaviors. Individual multivariate logistic regression models tested the association between religiosity and drug use (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and at least one illicit drug). RESULTS: Drug use over the last 30 days was higher among NFR students even after controlling for demographic variables. NFR students were more likely to use alcohol OR = 2.52; 95% CI: 2.08-3.06, tobacco (2.83; 2.09-3.83), marijuana (2.09; 1.39-3.11) and at least one illicit drug (1.42; 1.12-1.79) compared to FR students. CONCLUSION: Religiosity was found to be a strongly protective factor against drug use among Brazilian university students. However, more studies are needed to identify the mechanisms by which religiosity exerts this protective influence. (AU)