DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/S4PP-G532

Defense Date

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave

Abstract

This study examined whether religiosity, parental and adult support coping would moderate the influence of neighborhood risks and friends' drug use upon drug refusal efficacy and drug use among African American adolescents. One hundred and thirteen African American urban adolescents (77 females and 36 males) aged 11-17 (M=14.17) participated in this study. This study used the God Support and Religious Support scales to assess religiosity; the parental support coping subscale of the Wills Coping measure; Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's Special Event Drug Refusal Efficacy and Friends' Drug use scales; the Exposure to Neighborhood Risk Scale; and a one-item measure of adult support coping from the Wills' Coping measure. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that religiosity moderated the effects of neighborhood risks upon tobacco and alcohol refusal efficacy. Higher levels of religiosity were associated with lower levels of marijuana use, higher levels of parent support coping, and higher levels of alcohol and tobacco refusal efficacy. These findings suggest that religiosity may protect against drug use risk factors and enhance drug refusal efficacy among African American adolescents. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

June 2008

Included in

Psychology Commons

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