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Is Religiosity Positively Associated With School Connectedness: Evidence From High School Students in Atlantic Canada?

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Abstract

School connectedness (SC) is associated with decreased student risk behavior and better health and social outcomes. While a considerable body of research has examined the factors associated with SC, there is limited evidence about the particular role of religiosity in shaping levels of SC. Employing data reported by junior and senior high school students from Atlantic Canada, this study examines whether religiosity is positively associated with SC and whether such associations differ by gender. We tested the association between SC and religiosity using a random intercept multilevel logistic regression. The between-school variability in SC was first determined by our estimating a null or empty model; three different model specifications that included covariates were estimated: in Model 1 we adjusted for gender, age, academic performance, parental education, and living arrangement; in Model 2 for sensation seeking and subjective social status in addition to Model 1 variables; and in Model 3 we added substance use to the analysis. Our multilevel regression analyses showed that religiosity was protectively associated with lower SC across the three model specifications when both genders were examined together. In gender-stratified analyses we found similar protective associations of religiosity, with lower SC for both males and females in all three models. Given the overwhelming positive impact of SC on a range of health, social and school outcomes, it is important to understand the role of religiosity, among other factors, that may be modified to enhance student’s connectedness to school.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (Grant PSO-EXT-2011-8431). Funding for data collection was provided in part by the provincial Departments of Health and Wellness in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Sunday Azagba

  2. School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Sunday Azagba

  3. Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Mark Asbridge & Donald B. Langille

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  1. Sunday Azagba
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  2. Mark Asbridge
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  3. Donald B. Langille
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Correspondence to Sunday Azagba.

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Azagba, S., Asbridge, M. & Langille, D.B. Is Religiosity Positively Associated With School Connectedness: Evidence From High School Students in Atlantic Canada?. J Primary Prevent 35, 417–427 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-014-0367-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-014-0367-y

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