The relationship between religious orientation and drinking patterns among Catholic college students

Includes bibliographical references (pages [45]-48)The present study examined the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic approaches toward religion and Roman Catholic college students’ drinking behavior. Among the sample of 277 students, 100 males and 177 females completed the Religious Orientation Scale and the Student Alcohol Questionnaire. The results indicate that a weak but significant inverse relationship exists between intrinsic religiosity and the total number of drinks consumed per week as well as the total number of problems experienced due to drinking for females only. The findings for females and the lack of significant relationships among the variables for males are discussed from a sociocultural perspective. Possible explanations for the findings are that females are more likely to allow their religious beliefs to influence their drinking behavior while males are more strongly influenced by their peers and drink more heavily regardless of religious orientation.M.S. (Master of Science