Adolescent Religiosity Research Articles

The Role of Religion and Religiosity in Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents in Spain

This study explored the relationship between religion, religiosity and alcohol consumption in a sample of 2.890 adolescents (ages 12-18) in Madrid, Spain. Results showed that non-believers were the group that consume and abuse alcohol the most, as opposed to Catholics. Besides, religiosity was related to a lower alcohol use. Therefore, religion and religiosity in Spanish adolescents appear to be related to a low alcohol use. This contribution may help to clarify the risk and protection factors for alcohol consumption by adolescents and contribute to strengthening the preventive actions.

Exploring hope as a mediator between religiosity and depression in adolescents

ABSTRACTMultiple studies have found an inverse relationship between adolescent religiosity and adolescent depression. However, further research is needed to better understand the complexity of this relationship. One potential mediator that may help to explain this relationship is hope. Prior research has found that adolescent religiosity is predictive of increased adolescent hope and that higher levels of adolescent hope have been associated with multiple positive outcomes, including mental health in adolescents. However, no research has explored the mediational role of hope between religiosity and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Cross-sectional data from 459 adolescents were used to test this mediational or indirect effect. The direct effect between religiosity and depressive symptoms was not significant. However, there was a significant indirect effect whereby higher levels of adolescent religiosity were associated with higher levels of adolescent hope, which in turn were associated with lower levels of adolescent depressive symptoms.

Varieties of Religious and Pornographic Experience: Latent Growth in Adolescents’ Religiosity and Pornography Use

ABSTRACTThe relationship between adolescent religiosity and pornography use has been longitudinally tested only in the United States. Given the social relevance of hypothesized mechanisms underlying the association, this study offers a three-wave longitudinal assessment of parallel latent growth in the two constructs carried out in a Southern European country. Using responses of 1,041 Croatian adolescents from the capital city (Mage = 16.14 years, SD = .45; 64.6% of female students) and latent growth curve modeling approach, we explored links between individual trajectories of change in religiosity and pornography use over a period of 24 months. In the observed period, religiosity decreased and pornography use increased among both male and female adolescents, but their dynamics were independent of each other—pointing to other (unmeasured) processes responsible for both adolescents’ sexualization and secularization. Important to note, the findings also pointed to an important role of age at first exposure to pornography for its frequency of use in middle to late adolescence.

The Role of Religiosity in Adolescents' Compulsive Pornography Use: A Longitudinal Assessment

ABSTRACTDespite increasing concerns that adolescent men are vulnerable to developing compulsive pornography use, little research has been done in this area. Given recent theorizing and research concerning moral incongruence, we hypothesized that symptoms of compulsive pornography use should generally be associated with higher levels of pornography use and increased growth in male adolescent pornography use over time, but that this pattern would be attenuated among very religious participants. These hypotheses were tested with mixed effects growth models using two independent panel samples of male Croatian adolescents. As expected, adolescent men who reported features of compulsive pornography use tended to exhibited higher levels of pornography use. However, contrary to expectations, increased growth in pornography use was limited to more religious compulsive users. Compared to nonreligious compulsive users, these adolescents started with lower initial levels of pornography use and their use increased over time at a greater rate of change. This study's results are the first to suggest that some adolescent men who report high levels of pornography use tend to exhibit symptoms of compulsive use, which highlights a need for counseling and therapeutic attention. Our findings also have implications for the emerging theory of moral incongruence.

The Role of Religious Socialization and Religiosity in African American and Caribbean Black Adolescents' Sexual Initiation.

This study determined the nature of the associations between religious socialization, religiosity, and adolescent sexual initiation. Data originated from the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent (n = 1170), a nationally representative study of black adolescents. Factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and logistic regression were used to evaluate hypotheses. Results indicated that as black adolescents received more messages about religious beliefs and practices, their religiosity was greater and, in turn, they were less likely to report sexual initiation; findings varied by ethnicity, gender, and age. Findings contribute to understanding religious socialization and its association with sexual initiation.

Adolescents with a Disposition toward Compulsive Sexual Behavior: The Role of Shame in Willingness to Seek Help and Treatment

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the relation between shame and religiosity in secular and religious adolescents' willingness to seek help or therapy for their compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). The study population included 274 adolescents (131 boys and 143 girls), aged 14–18 (M = 16.84, SD = 1.29). By religiosity, 51.4% (n = 141) self-defined themselves as secular and 48.6% (n = 133) as religious. Questionnaires were uploaded to Qualtrics—an online platform for questionnaires. Help-seeking steps were prompted by shame. Adolescents who experienced a high degree of shame with their CSB reported greater willingness to receive help; those who reported little or no shame did not express a desire to seek help, despite their level of CSB. Among secular adolescents, but not among religious ones, shame motivated help seeking and willingness to receive help. Religious adolescents refrain from seeking help despite their shame of their CSB.

The relationships between religiosity and youth internalizing symptoms in African American parent-adolescent dyads.

African American (AA) adolescents face a greater risk of internalizing symptoms, including symptoms of both depression and anxiety, compared with other racial groups; yet, relatively less is known about the variables that contribute to internalizing symptoms. With the aim of advancing this work, this study examined factors that may buffer against such symptoms (maternal warmth, religiosity), as well as those that may confer additional risk (maternal psychopathology). One hundred ninety-three AA single mothers and their adolescent youth reported on religiosity, maternal warmth and depressive symptoms, and youth internalizing symptoms. Dyadic structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of mother and adolescent religiosity, maternal warmth, maternal depressive symptoms, and adolescent age on youth internalizing symptoms as reported by both the mother and the adolescent. Consistent with hypotheses, maternal depressive symptoms were significantly associated with youth internalizing symptoms (as reported by the adolescent). Further, the impact of maternal religiosity on self-reported youth internalizing symptoms and its subscales was moderated by adolescent age. Specifically, maternal religiosity was associated with fewer self-reported internalizing symptoms in young adolescents, whereas the effect waned in older youth. Possible predictive coprocesses such as maternal influence on adolescent religious choices and identity formation are explored in the context of adolescent internalizing symptomatology. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Effect of Religiosity on Adolescent Risky Behaviors

We investigate the relationship between religiosity and risky behaviors in adolescence using data from a large and detailed cohort study of 14 year olds that have been followed for seven years. We focus on the effect of the self-reported importance of religion and on the risk of youths having early sexual intercourse, drinking underage, trying cigarettes, trying cannabis, and being involved in fighting at ages 14–17. We use school and individual fixed effects, and we control for a rich set of adolescent, school, and family characteristics, including achievements in standardized test scores at age 11, parental employment, and marital status. We also control for information on personality traits, such as work ethic, self-esteem, and external locus of control. Our results show that individuals with low religiosity are more likely to engage in risky health behaviors. This effect is robust to separate estimations for boys and girls and to the control variables used. The combination of low work ethic, low self-esteem, and low religiosity seems to have particularly detrimental effects.

EFEKTIVITAS STRATEGI BIMBINGAN TEISTIK UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN RELIGIUSITAS REMAJA (Penelitian Kuasi Eksperimen Terhadap Peserta Didik Kelas X SMA Nugraha Bandung Tahun Ajaran 2014/2015)

This research based on the low level of commitment in religion, who adhere to the religion but life has not been a truth values recommended in religion, or simply follow family tradition and friends without rationally as a principle. This study aimed to obtain the effectiveness theistic guidance strategy for developmental of teenagers religiosity in grade X of SMA Nugraha Bandung Academic Year 2014/2015. (1) describe the effectiveness of guidance theistic strategies for the development of religiosity (2) explain the dynamics of religiosity through intervention theistic guidance strategies students of Grade X SMA Nugraha Bandung academic year 2014/2015. This research used a quantitative approach with quasi-experimental research with non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. Data was collected by religiosity questionnaires. Study participants were 18 people in each of the experimental and control groups by using purposive sampling technique. The results showed is program interventions of theistic guidance strategies for the development of specific adolescent religiosity was effective to develop students religiosity on dimension religious believe, religious practice, religious experience and religious dimensions consequences. Theistic guidance strategies were not effective for the development of religious dimension of knowledge. The dynamics in religiosity through intervention theistic guidance strategies showed understanding in concept form at beliefe religious dimension, religious practices, and religious knowledge. The dynamics of behavior change interventions religiosity on theistic guidance strategies showed understanding of concepts and applications in everyday life on the religious dimension of religious experiences and consequences. The counselor suggested to understand scientific theistic.

Attitude toward Christianity, sexual orientation, and parental religiosity in a sample of Italian adolescents

Literature suggests that several demographic variables are linked with religiosity in adolescence, such as gender, age and parental religiosity. The sample consisted of 910 young people (53% female) between 14 and 19 years of age, attending secular secondary schools in Rome, Italy. They self-identified as heterosexual adolescents (91.6%), and lesbian/gay (LG) adolescents (8.4%). High scores of positive attitudes toward God, Jesus, the Bible, prayer and church were associated with female gender, higher father’s religiosity, and higher mother’s religiosity, but not with age of the participants. As expected, heterosexual orientation was associated with a more positive attitude toward Christianity, controlling for sex, age, and parental religiosity.

IMPLIKASI PERAN ORANG TUA DALAM PEMERTAHANAN RELIGIUSITAS REMAJA HINDU DI KABUPATEN TULUNGAGUNG PROVINSI JAWA TIMUR

<p><em>Parents have a very important and central role in the formation of religious attitudes and the defense of Hindu adolescent religiosity. The impacts caused by social interaction in different societies of different religious backgrounds, greatly affect the development of Hindu teenagers, especially in terms of psychic (mental). If the important role of parents can be applied optimally in the family, then the case of religious adolescent decline in religiosity will be suppressed.</em></p><p><em>This research was conducted in Tulungagung District, East Java Province. The purpose of this study is to know: (1) the background of the need for religious adolescent religiosity in Tulungagung regency; (2) obstacles that hinder the maintenance of the religiosity of Hindu adolescents in Tulungagung District; and (3) the efforts that parents need to make in the defense of Hindu adolescent religiosity in Tulungagung District.</em></p><p><em>The results showed that religious adolescent religious religiosity was perpetuated through religious activities. In addition, the role of parents and Hindu society is also very influential on the religiosity of Hindu adolescents. Constraints that hamper the defense of Hindu adolescent religiosity can be grouped into two, namely internal constraints and external constraints. Efforts that can be done by the parents as the most important party to maintain the religiosity of Hindu adolescents is to provide education about the teachings of Hinduism early in the child, provide an example of how to diligent teachings of Hinduism properly, and familiarize children perform religious practices. If the effort can be well implemented by the parents, then sraddha and bhakti adolescent Hindu will become very strong and not easily wavered by the influence that exists in the environment.</em></p><p><em> </em></p>

청소년의 종교성과 심리적 웰빙 간의 관계 : 삶의 의미 및 삶에 대한 기대의 매개효과를 중심으로

청소년의 종교성과 심리적 웰빙 간의 관계 : 삶의 의미 및 삶에 대한 기대의 매개효과를 중심으로

Measuring Five Dimensions of Religiosity across Adolescence.

This paper theorizes and tests a latent variable model of adolescent religiosity in which five dimensions of religiosity are interrelated: religious beliefs, religious exclusivity, external religiosity, private practice, and religious salience. Research often theorizes overlapping and independent influences of single items or dimensions of religiosity on outcomes such as adolescent sexual behavior, but rarely operationalizes the dimensions in a measurement model accounting for their associations with each other and across time. We use longitudinal structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables to analyze data from two waves of the National Study of Youth and Religion. We test our hypothesized measurement model as compared to four alternate measurement models and find that our proposed model maintains superior fit. We then discuss the associations between the five dimensions of religiosity we measure and how these change over time. Our findings suggest how future research might better operationalize multiple dimensions of religiosity in studies of the influence of religion in adolescence.

Longitudinal study of religiosity and mental health of adolescents with psychiatric problems. The TRAILS study

PurposeThis study used longitudinal data to examine the influence of the religiosity of pre-adolescents with psychiatric problems on the course of mental health during adolescence. MethodsIn the TRAILS clinical cohort of 543 pre-adolescents (10–12 years), mental health problems were assessed using self-report at baseline, T2 (12–14 years), T3 (14–17 years), and T4 (17–21 years). The Youth Self Report (YSR) was used at baseline, T2, and T3, and the Adult Self Report (ASR) was used at T4. Religiosity was assessed at baseline using self-report and information from mothers and fathers, resulting in three categorical religiosity variables and six SOCON (Social Cultural Developments Questionnaire) religiosity scales that assess religiosity in greater detail. Repeated measure ANOVA analyses were performed for each independent religiosity variable with internalizing and externalizing problem behavior as dependent variables, gender as a factor and time (T1, T2, T3 and T4) as within factor. Results were adjusted for marital status of parents and socioeconomic status and corrected for multiple testing. ResultsThere were main effects of the self-report SOCON scale “Humanistic beliefs” and gender and gender “by Humanistic beliefs” interaction effect on internalizing problems. Follow-up tests revealed that among females “high” scores on “Humanistic beliefs” were associated with increased internalizing problems. ConclusionsThere were hardly any associations between religiosity and mental health in a clinical cohort of pre-adolescents up to adolescence. The exception being that among females strong humanistic beliefs were associated with internalizing problems. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Public or Private Religiosity: Which Is Protective for Adolescent Substance Use and by What Pathways?

While it is well understood that adolescent religiosity is associated with the use and abuse of licit and illicit substances, few studies have revealed the pathways through which religiosity buffers youth against involvement in such behavior. The aim of this study is to examine the complexity of the relationships between religiosity, sensation seeking, injunctive norms, and adolescent substance use. Using a national sample of adolescents ( N = 18,614), negative binomial regression and path analysis were used to examine the various components of the relationship between religiosity and the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Results indicate that private religiosity moderates the relationship between key risk factors and substance use. Public and private religiosity were associated with tolerant injunctive substance use norms which, in turn, were associated with substance use. Implications for research and theory related to religiosity and adolescent substance use are discussed.

The role of mothers' and fathers' religiosity in African American adolescents' religious beliefs and practices.

To advance understanding of youth religiosity in its sociocultural context, this study examined the associations between parents' and adolescents' religious beliefs and practices and tested the roles of parent and youth gender and youth ethnic identity in these linkages. The sample included 130 two-parent, African American families. Adolescents (49% female) averaged 14.43 years old. Mothers, fathers, and adolescents were interviewed in their homes about their family and personal characteristics, including their religious beliefs. In a series of 7 nightly phone calls, adolescents reported on their daily practices, including time spent in religious practices (e.g., attending services, prayer), and parents reported on their time spent in religious practices with their adolescents. Findings indicated that mothers' beliefs were linked to the beliefs of sons and daughters, but fathers' beliefs were only associated with the beliefs of sons. Mothers' practices were associated with youths' practices, but the link was stronger when mothers' held moderately strong religious beliefs. Fathers' practices were also linked to youth practices, but the association was stronger for daughters than for sons. Findings highlight the understudied role of fathers in African American families, the importance of examining religiosity as a multidimensional construct, and the utility of ethnic homogeneous designs for illuminating the implications of sociocultural factors in the development of African American youth. (PsycINFO Database Record

Spirituality and Religiosity in Adolescents Living With Sickle Cell Disease.

This study purports to address paucity in the literature regarding how adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) describe and experience spirituality and religiosity (S/R). This was a qualitative descriptive study. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine adolescents (Mage = 16.2 years). Data were analyzed using a template analysis style and a concurrent analysis process of data reduction. Three major themes encompassed the participants' descriptions of the relationships between S/R, health and illness in their lives including S/R as sources for coping, influence of S/R beliefs on health and illness, and sharing S/R with Health Care Providers (HCPs). S/R as coping mechanisms included six threads: interconnecting with God, interconnecting with others, interconnecting with creative arts, scriptural metanarratives, transcendent experiences, and acceptance and finding meaning. Expectations of health providers included two threads: Religiosity is private/personal and sharing spiritual and religious beliefs is risky. S/R are particularly salient for adolescents with SCD.

Prior Delinquency and Depression Differentially Predict Conditional Associations Between Discrete Patterns of Adolescent Religiosity and Adult Alcohol Use Patterns.

Prior research has demonstrated that adolescent delinquency and depression are prospectively related to adult alcohol use and that adolescent religiosity may influence these relationships. However, such associations have not been investigated using person-centered approaches that provide nuanced explorations of these constructs. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we examined whether adolescent delinquency and depression differentiated typologies of adult alcohol users and whether these relationships varied across religiosity profiles. Three typologies of self-identified Christian adolescents and 4 types of adult alcohol users were identified via latent profile analysis. Delinquency and depression were related to increased likelihood of membership in heavy drinking or problematic alcohol use profiles, but this relationship was most evident among those likely to be involved in religious practices. These results demonstrate the importance of person-centered approaches in characterizing the influences of internalizing and externalizing behaviors on subsequent patterns of alcohol use.

Religiosity of Muslim Adolescents from Single Parent Families Living in Government-Subsidised Settlement

Religiosity of Muslim Adolescents from Single Parent Families Living in Government-Subsidised Settlement

Religiosity in young adolescents with auditory vocal hallucinations

The current exploratory study examined the associations between auditory vocal hallucinations (AVH) and delusions and religiosity in young adolescents. 337 children from a population-based case-control study with and without AVH, were assessed after five years at age 12 and 13, on the presence and appraisal of AVH, delusions and religiosity. AVH status (persistent, remittent, incident or control) was examined in relationship to religiosity. Results demonstrated a non-linear association between AVH and religiosity. Moderately religious adolescents were more likely to report AVH than non-religious adolescents (O.R.=2.6). Prospectively, moderately religious adolescents were more likely to have recently developed AVH than non-religious adolescents (O.R.=3.6) and strongly religious adolescents (O.R.=7.9). Of the adolescents reporting voices in this sample (16.3%), more than half reported positive voices. Religious beliefs were often described as supportive, useful or neutral (82%), regardless of the level of religiosity, for both adolescents with and without AVH. Co-occurrence of AVH and delusions, and severity of AVH were not related to religiosity. The present findings suggest there may be a non-linear association between religiosity and hearing voices in young adolescents. A speculative explanation may be that religious practices were adopted in response to AVH as a method of coping.