RT Article
T1 Religion Involvement and Substance Use Problems in Schoolchildren in Northern Chile
JF Religions
VO 13
IS 5
A1 Caqueo-Urízar, Alejandra
A1 Peroza, Erika
A1 Escobar-Soler, Carolang
A1 Flores, Jerome
A1 Urzúa, Alfonso
A1 Irarrázaval, Matías
A1 Reygadas, Karina
A1 Zegarra, Gustavo
LA English
PB MDPI
YR 2022
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1807457311
AB (1) Background: Religious involvement and spirituality have proven to be sources of well-being for individuals at different moments in life and are also associated with a decrease in depression, anxiety, and substance use. Therefore, these could be protective factors against stressful conditions and contribute to mental health. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between religious involvement and substance use among students in northern Chile. (2) Methods: The design is retrospective ex post facto with only one group, and the sample included 2313 adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age from public and private schools. A subscale of the Child and Adolescent Assessment System was used to assess substance use and Universal Age I-E-12 to measure religious involvement. (3) Results: The findings suggest that the intrinsic orientation of religiousness (β = −0.048, p < 0.014), age (β = 0.374, p < 0.000), gender (β = 0.039, p < 0.040), and ethnic identity (β = 0.051, p < 0.008) have significant correlations with substance use. (4) Conclusions: The intrinsic orientation of religion is a relevant variable associated with consumption due to its non-instrumental characteristics of religion and practices aimed at self-exploration and self-knowledge that favor the subjective well-being of individuals, which could prevent drug use from becoming an alternative for dealing with conflicts in the children and young population of this region of Latin America.
K1 Chile
K1 religion involvement
K1 schoolchildren
K1 substance use problems
DO 10.3390/rel13050442