Abstract
Adolescent delinquency and substance use are global problems. African American adolescents are especially susceptible to the life-changing consequences of these problem behaviors. Religiosity is a notable protective factor that has been shown to mitigate these behaviors. This study uses a person-centered approach to examine the extent to which religiosity is associated with lower rates of delinquency and substance use among urban African American adolescents in the United States. Latent Class Analysis was used to examine the heterogeneity in five religiosity items among a sample of adolescents ages 13–18. After identifying religiosity classes through a class enumeration process, we examined predictors of the classes using multinomial logistic regression. The classes were then used to predict several substance use and delinquency outcomes. Three religiosity classes were identified; “low religious beliefs and engagement,” (15.19%, n = 94), “religious with low active engagement,” (56.70%, n = 351), and “religious with high active engagement,” (28.11%, n = 174). Protective effects of religiosity on substance use (e.g., alcohol) and delinquency were found (e.g., assault). Implications for research and practice are discussed.
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This study was funded by the Center for Health Administration Studies and the STI/HIV Intervention Network at the University of Chicago, which were awarded to Dr. Dexter R. Voisin.
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Fairclough, J., Abd-Elmonem, M., Merrin, G.J. et al. Religiosity and Associations with Substance Use and Delinquency Among Urban African American Adolescents. J Relig Health 63, 531–550 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01916-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01916-2