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Cathleen Savage

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savage-cathleen@norc.org

BETHESDA, MD -- NORC senior research scientist Elizabeth C. Hair and colleagues presented findings today from a study showing that strong religious beliefs and practices, such as attending religious services during childhood, seem to protect against engaging in risky behaviors in young adulthood.

The findings were presented in Washington, DC at a one-day conference, Religion Practice and the Family: What the Research Says. The conference, sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, is examining how faith and religious practice in America affects families and how it is proving beneficial in the creation, health, and longevity of the family.

Hair, the paper's lead author, found that young adults with strong religious beliefs were less likely to engage in unsafe sex, use illegal substances, or binge drink. Similarly, those who attended church regularly tended to not binge drink, use illegal substances, or smoke.

The study used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 Cohort (NLSY97). The researchers examined factors in adolescence that predict risky behaviors in young adulthood in a sample of 4,834 adolescents who were ages 12 to 14 in 1997. The NLSY97 was selected as a data source because these cohorts received detailed questions on family religious activities and family processes.

Citation:

2009  "The Influence of Family Religiosity During Adolescence on Risky Behaviors in Young Adulthood"

Authors:

Elizabeth C. Hair, Ph.D., Sr. Research Scientist, NORC; Kristin A. Moore, Ph.D., Senior Scholar, Megan Kuhfeld, and Kathleen Sidorowicz, Child Trends.