Religiousness among at-risk drinkers: is it prospectively associated with the development or maintenance of an alcohol-use disorder?

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether particular dimensions of religiousness are prospectively associated with the development or maintenance of an alcohol-use disorder (AUD) among at-risk drinkers or persons with a history of problem drinking. METHOD: A prospective cohort study was conducted among at-risk drinkers identified through a population-based telephone survey of adults residing in the southeastern United States. The cohort was stratified by baseline AUD status to determine how several dimensions of religiousness (organized religious attendance, religious self-ranking, religious influence on one's life, coping through prayer, and talking with a religious leader) were associated with the development and, separately, the maintenance or remission of an AUD over 6 months. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the odds of developing versus not developing an AUD and maintaining versus remitting from an AUD while adjusting for measures of social support and other covariates. RESULTS: Among persons without an AUD at baseline, more frequent organized religious attendance, adjusted odds ratio (OR(adj)) = 0.73, 95% CI [0.55, 0.96], and coping through prayer, OR(adj) = 0.63, 95% CI [0.45, 0.87], were associated with lower adjusted odds of developing an AUD. In contrast, among persons with an AUD at baseline, no dimension of religiousness was associated with the maintenance or remission of an AUD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that religious attendance and coping through prayer may protect against the development of an AUD among at-risk drinkers. Further research is warranted to ascertain whether these or other religious activities and practices should be promoted among at-risk drinkers.