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Does religiousness explain regional differences in alcohol use in Finland?
Torsten Winter1, Sakari Karvonen, Richard J Rose
1Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, The Unit for Promotion of Well-Being and Health, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), Helsinki, Finland.
Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)
|July 11, 2002
Summary
Religiousness is a key factor in adolescent alcohol use differences between rural and urban Finland. Higher maternal religiousness offers greater protection for abstinence in rural areas.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Health
- Adolescent Health
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Adolescent alcohol consumption varies significantly between rural and urban regions in Finland.
- Religiousness is recognized as a protective factor against alcohol use.
- Rural areas exhibit higher prevalence of religiousness compared to urban centers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of religiousness in explaining regional disparities in adolescent alcohol use.
- To compare the influence of religiousness on alcohol abstinence in rural versus urban Finnish adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional questionnaire data from Finnish adolescents and their mothers (1991-1995) were analyzed.
- Statistical modeling was employed to examine the relationship between region, religiousness, and alcohol abstinence.
Main Results:
- Adolescents in the rural region reported higher abstinence rates, less frequent drinking, and higher religiousness.
- A significant correlation between religiousness and alcohol abstinence was observed in the rural region, particularly when including abstainers.
- An interaction effect was found: maternal religiousness was more protective of adolescent abstinence in the rural region compared to the urban region.
Conclusions:
- Religiousness is important in understanding regional differences in adolescent alcohol use, especially in areas with distinct religious traditions.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind the differential impact of maternal religiousness on adolescent abstinence rates across regions.