Extracurricular activities and teens’ alcohol use: The role of religious and secular sponsorship

• Published in: Social science research 2012-03, Vol.41 (2), p.412-424
• Main Author: Adamczyk, Amy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities; Adolescence; Adolescents; Alcohol; Alcohol Abuse; Extracurricular; Extracurricular activities; Friends; Friendship; Health behavior; Networks; Parents; Programs; Religion; Religions; Religious organizations; Sponsorship; Sports; Teenagers; Voluntary work; Youth; Youth culture; Youth Organizations
• ISSN: 0049-089X; 1096-0317
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.11.003

► This study examines religion-supported secular programs and alcohol use. ► Involvement in religion-supported secular programs is associated with less drinking. ► Involvement in secularly-supported programs is associated with more drinking. ► The effect is the same for more and less religious teens. ► The number of religious friends helps explain the relationship. Much research has found that more religious youth are less likely to engage in riskier health-related behaviors. However, very little research has examined the role that religion may play in shaping the health-related behaviors of secular youth. There is reason to think that more and less religious youth may gain some health-related benefits from involvement with religious organizations through activities such as basketball and volunteering. Using two waves of data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, this study finds that involvement in religion-supported secular activities is associated with less alcohol use for all involved teens. The number of friends who belong to a religious youth group, in part, explains the relationship. Conversely, network overlap between parents and teens, the number of friends who drink or use drugs, and having an adult confidant from a religious group are not mechanisms that mediate the relationship.