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Depressive Symptoms and Tobacco Use: Does Religious Orientation Play a Protective Role?

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Abstract

Many studies have established an association between depression and smoking. The main objective of this study was to determine whether religious orientation moderates the relationship between depressive symptoms and tobacco use. This study utilized a cross-sectional data collection strategy to examine the relationship among depressive symptoms, religious orientation, and tobacco use among undergraduate students (N = 349) at a midsize southeastern university. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Extrinsic/Intrinsic Religious Orientation Scale-Revised and the Drinking and Drug Habits Questionnaire. Analyses using hierarchical linear regression indicate a significant interaction effect (depressive symptoms × extrinsic religious orientation) on tobacco use. Additional moderation analyses reveal a significant interaction effect between depressive symptoms and the extrinsic-personal religious orientation on tobacco use. Results suggest that having an extrinsic religious orientation, and specifically, the extrinsic-personal subtype, can protect against the effects of depressive symptoms. In this regard, individuals who turn to religion for solace or comfort may be less likely to engage in tobacco use when experiencing depressive symptoms. Limitations, future directions, and implications are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Heather Culpepper, Philip Hughes, Megan Horton, Jessica Chadwick and Ashley Weston for assistance with data collection.

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Correspondence to Stacy C. Parenteau.

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Human and Animal Rights Statement

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Parenteau, S.C. Depressive Symptoms and Tobacco Use: Does Religious Orientation Play a Protective Role?. J Relig Health 57, 1211–1223 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0399-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0399-8

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