Publication Date

8-2010

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Dr. Thomas Nicholson (Director), Dr. John B. White, Dr. Grace K. Lartey

Degree Program

Department of Public Health

Degree Type

Master of Public Health

Abstract

This study is a sub-analysis ofthe previously collected cross-sectional DRUGNET survey data. The sample included 1,178 current users of illicit drugs and 389 former users. This study was delimited to U.S. citizens, aged 18 years and older, who completed the DRUGNET survey (n =1,567). DRUGNET was a descriptive online survey of self - reported attitudes and behaviors among a group of adult, self - identified drug users (i.e., not drug abusers). The purpose of the sub-analysis was to explore the importance of religion, spirituality, and religious service attendance in the context of an otherwise normal healthy adult life. Moreover, it also looked into potential patterns of association between aspects of religiosity/spirituality and illicit drug use. The study explored if there was a relationship between the strength of a respondent's spiritual or religious beliefs and the patterns of their recreational drug use. A canonical correlation analysis was conducted using self-rated spirituality, self-rated religiosity, and attendance at services as variables on the left (entered in MANOVA as dependent variables) and self-reported use of six groups of drugs as variables on the right (entered in MANOV A as covariates). One significant function was found, which showed that attending religious services and importance of religion were negatively associated with the use of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogens. That is, people who reported a higher level of religiosity and who attended religious services were less likely to use these psychoactive drugs.

Disciplines

Chemicals and Drugs | Public Health

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