Religiosity and patterns of alcohol consumption among users of primary healthcare facilities in Brazil

Abstract Background A number of studies have been reported on the role of religiosity in health beliefs and behaviors. Objective The objective of this cross-sectional study is to examine the association between religious involvement and patterns of alcohol consumption in a large representative sample of users of primary healthcare facilities in Ribeirão Preto, Southeast Brazil. Method Data were collected through personal interviews. Religiosity was measured using the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and the alcohol consumption was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between the participant characteristics, the AUDIT risk levels, and the drinking groups. Results The sample was composed of 841 women with a mean age of 39.5 years old and 214 men with a mean age of 45.1 years old. A significant relationship between patterns of alcohol consumption and the multiple dimensions of religiosity was detected, such as religious affiliation, religious practices, self-perception of the level of religiosity and the ORA, NORA and IR components of DUREL. Lower levels of drinking risk were detected among religious individuals and among those who practice their religions compared to individuals who have no religion and/or non-practicing individuals, respectively. Conclusion A lifestyle motivated by religious concerns is associated with alcohol use habits among the Brazilian users of the public healthcare facilities.

摘要
背景 已有多项研究探讨了宗教虔诚度在健康信念与行为中的作用。
目的 本横断面研究旨在评估巴西东南部里贝朗普雷图市的大型代表性初级医疗保健机构使用者样本中，宗教参与度与饮酒模式之间的关联。
方法 研究通过个人访谈收集数据。宗教虔诚度采用杜克大学宗教虔诚指数量表（Duke University Religion Index, DUREL）进行测量，饮酒情况则通过酒精使用障碍识别测试（Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, AUDIT）问卷进行量化。本研究采用多项逻辑回归模型，分析参与者特征、AUDIT风险等级与饮酒分组之间的关联。
结果 本研究样本包含841名女性（平均年龄39.5岁）与214名男性（平均年龄45.1岁）。研究发现饮酒模式与宗教虔诚度的多个维度存在显著关联，包括宗教归属、宗教修行实践、对自身宗教虔诚程度的自我认知，以及DUREL量表的ORA、NORA与IR三个分量表。与无宗教信仰者及非宗教践行者相比，有宗教信仰者与践行自身宗教信仰者的饮酒风险水平更低。
结论 在巴西公立初级医疗保健机构的使用者群体中，基于宗教关切的生活方式与饮酒习惯存在显著关联。