Religiosity, Parental Support and Adult Support Coping as Protective Factors for Drug Refusal Efficacy and Use Among African American Adolescents

This study examined whether religiosity, parental and adult support coping would moderate the influence of neighborhood risks and friends' drug use upon drug refusal efficacy and drug use among African American adolescents. One hundred and thirteen African American urban adolescents (77 females and 36 males) aged 11-17 (M=14.17) participated in this study. This study used the God Support and Religious Support scales to assess religiosity; the parental support coping subscale of the Wills Coping measure; Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's Special Event Drug Refusal Efficacy and Friends' Drug use scales; the Exposure to Neighborhood Risk Scale; and a one-item measure of adult support coping from the Wills' Coping measure. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that religiosity moderated the effects of neighborhood risks upon tobacco and alcohol refusal efficacy. Higher levels of religiosity were associated with lower levels of marijuana use, higher levels of parent support coping, and higher levels of alcohol and tobacco refusal efficacy. These findings suggest that religiosity may protect against drug use risk factors and enhance drug refusal efficacy among African American adolescents. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2007

Author dc:creator

• Tademy, Raymond H.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave

• drug use
• adolescent
• tobacco
• alcohol
• African American youth
• religious influence
• marijuana
• social disorganization theory
• community
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/833

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1832