The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on Health Risk Behaviors in Children and Adolescents

Background and Significance

This program announcement calls for research studies that examine the mechanisms, mediators, and moderators by which religious and spiritual beliefs develop and are transmitted across generations, and whether and how these beliefs influence early sexual behaviors and alcohol or other drug use that may facilitate the transmission of HIV in children and adolescents.

The focus is on the positive and negative effects of religiosity and spirituality on health risk behaviors in children and adolescents. There is an increasingly pluralistic religious landscape in the United States which makes it important to consider the influences and impacts of beliefs and behaviors promulgated by numerous religions in the United States. Relevant research questions regarding religiosity and spirituality include, but are not limited to methodological issues, mechanistic issues, and/or contextual issues.

Research and Design Methods

Religious and spiritual beliefs play a significant role in the lives of American adolescents as evidenced by estimates that over 85 percent of teenagers affiliate with an organized religion, 80 percent pray, 40 percent pray daily, and more than half attend religious services at least monthly. The majority of American high school seniors report that religion is very important or pretty important to them. Religiosity has been identified as a protective resource for young people with religiosity predicting lower levels of drinking, drug use, delinquency, and early sexual behavior.

Discussions

The religion and spirituality of a person suggests the existence of a number of lifestyles profiles, rather than living in a life with a complete random. These lifestyles typically develop patterns of interactions that reflect in personal preferences.

As spirituality represents an interior, subjective experience, it can be expressed within or outside religious settings. Those who tend to express their spirituality outside of religious settings would have a lifestyle profile that could be called spiritual but not religious.

In response to this call, study shows examine the protective influence of various data-driven spiritual--religious lifestyle profiles on tobacco smoking, alcohol use, and gambling frequency and expenditures. In recognition of the evolving understanding of spirituality and religion, some researchers have operationalized spirituality and religion as distinct constructs and explored their protective influence with various substances. In studies seeking to identify protective factors that inhibit the "real-life" use of addictive substances and practices, this seems like a particularly important consideration (Hodge, et al., 2007).

Moreover, problems with alcohol--and in many denominations even the use of alcohol--are seen as incompatible with religion and spirituality. Religion's role in shaping moral attitudes regarding alcohol has led researchers to a long-standing interest in the relationship between religion and alcohol use. Studies of both adolescent and adult populations report that alcohol use may be influenced by religion Bowie, et al., (2006).

Together with a number of other agencies committed to do a research study, it helps the health organization determine the answers to the societal questions that revolving around the environment. In addition, any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out proposed research is invited to work institution to develop an application for support.

Conclusions

The programs that contributed for the good of children and adolescents is emerging in an alliance with the concept of religiosity and spirituality. The influence that it created made a greater impact in the society. Aside from the health department, there are other community-based organizations that are also in the same aim. The goals that enrich their objectives for sure are placed under the criticisms but the outcome would be great if the full support would be given.

The inspiration that made the foundation probably came from the people who suffer in the depression. The bad influences like the alcohol, drug, and even in the sexual issues are truly the alarming issues in the society. The best thing that happened is that there is a specification for the existence of the programs in getting the future better for the children, for the adolescents, for the heirs of the human race.

References:

Bowie, J., Ensminger, M., & Robertson, J., (2006). Alcohol-Use Problems in Young Black Adults: Effects of Religiosity, Social Resources, and Mental Health. The Journal of Studies on Alcohol. Vol. 67 No. 1, p. 44.

Hodge, D., Andereck, K., & Montoya, H., (2007). The Protective Influence of Spiritual-Religious Lifestyle Profiles on Tobacco Use, Alcohol Use and Gambling. The Social Work Research. Vol. 31 No. 41, p. 211.

Other Sources:

Department of Health and Services: The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on Health Risk Behaviors in Children and Adolescents (R01). [Online] Available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-181.html [Accessed 02 Sept 2009].

Grant and Funding Opportunities. [Online] Available at: http://www.oasas.state.ny.us/hps/grants/funding/NIAAA-Spirituality.cfm [Accessed 02 Sept 2009].

Welch, A., (2006). The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on Health Risk Behaviors in Children and Adolescents. [Online] Available at: http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/7500 [Accessed 02 Sept 2009].