College Students’ Alcohol Use and Related Problems: What Makes Religiousness a Protective Factor?

Excessive alcohol use has been recognized as a critical health hazard for college students, particularly for members of social fraternities and sororities. Religiousness and Spirituality (R/S) has received substantial support as a protective factor for alcohol use across many populations. The current study utilized a series of hierarchical regression models to delineate the protective influences of six R/S dimensions on alcohol consumption, harmful drinking patterns, and alcohol-related problems, as well as their moderating effect on the association between Greek membership and alcohol outcomes in a sample of 709 undergraduates from one Christian-affiliated institution and one public university. Public religious participation and intrinsic religious motivation predicted significantly lower alcohol consumption, and intrinsic motivation buffered the association between Greek membership and consumption. Only public participation predicted significantly lower alcohol-related problems and harmful drinking. Implications for treatment and directions for future research are discussed