Complex Interactions of Sexual Identity, Sex/Gender, and Religious/Spiritual Identity on Substance Use Among College Students

Abstract

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use pose serious health problems on college campuses. A significant body of research shows student religiosity to be a protective factor, but a very little research has examined influences of sexual identities on alcohol and other drug use among college students, and its associations with religious or spiritual identity. This study examined the relationships of sex/gender, sexual identity, and religious/spiritual identity on current alcohol use, drug use, and smoking via an online survey of 2,204 college students. We found a three-way interaction between sex/gender, sexual identity, and religious/spiritual identity, with religion showing protective value for nonheterosexual women, but not nonheterosexual men, related to alcohol use. Nonheterosexual students also showed different patterns of risk and protective factors. A subset of the sample that indicated that they did not use sexual identity labels showed very high rates of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, often exceeding the lesbian, gay, and bisexual group on these measures. These findings provide new information on nonheterosexual student drug and alcohol use and indicate the need for additional research in this area of study.

Religiosity as a protective factor for hazardous drinking and drug use among sexual minority and heterosexual women: Findings from the National Alcohol Survey

“…This finding contrasts with studies of adolescents and young adults where religiosity was not consistently protective and, in some cases, was associated with increased risks (Eliason et al, 2011; Rostosky et al, 2008, 2007, 2010). Some researchers note that relationships with religiosity appear to change over time among sexual minorities, and that adult conceptualizations of religion or spirituality for sexual minorities may differ considerably from those in which they were raised (Halkitis et al, 2009; Sherry et al, 2010).…”

“…In contrast to research based on general population samples, recent studies suggest that religion may not be protective against alcohol-related problems or psychological distress among sexual minorities (Anderton et al, 2011; Barnes and Meyer, 2012; Eliason et al, 2011; Page et al, 2013; Rostosky et al, 2007, 2010). Higher levels of religiosity and religious affiliation with religions that promote rejecting messages appear to be associated with increased internalized homophobia (Barnes and Meyer, 2012; Page et al, 2013; Ream and Savin-Williams, 2005).…”

Religion and Spirituality’s Influences on HIV Syndemics Among MSM: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Model

“…There were two positive associations between religion, spirituality, and syndemics-related health conditions. Specifically, spirituality was found to be positively associated with depression [28] and self-reported religious/ spiritual identity was positively associated with alcohol and drug use [29]. There were five negative associations between religion, spirituality, and syndemics-related health conditions.…”

Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms Among Sexual Minority Youth: Is Gay-Affirming Religious Affiliation a Protective Factor?

“…We dichotomized race into people of color/White because of the low number of racial minorities, especially in the sexual minority sample. We also controlled for religiosity, specifically, the importance of religion in one’s life, because despite mixed findings on the role of religiosity concerning the well-being of sexual minority youth (Eliason, Burke, van Olphen, & Howell, 2011; Rostosky et al, 2007; Wright & Perry, 2006), the degree to which one considers religion an important part of one’s life is generally regarded as a protective factor (George et al, 2002). Participants who selected a religious affiliation were asked to specify how important religion was to them (1 = not at all important, 4 = very important); we coded secular individuals as 1.…”