The Association Between Religiosity and Substance Use Patterns Among Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System

• Author: Fern J. Webb,Abenaa A. Jones,Sonam O. Lasopa,Linda B. Cottler,Catherine W. Striley
• Published date: 01 July 2018
• DOI: 10.1177/0022042618757208
• Date: 01 July 2018
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042618757208

Journal of Drug Issues

2018, Vol. 48(3) 327 –336

© The Author(s) 2018

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DOI: 10.1177/0022042618757208

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Article

The Association Between

Religiosity and Substance Use

Patterns Among Women Involved

in the Criminal Justice System

Abenaa A. Jones1, Fern J. Webb2, Sonam O. Lasopa3,

Catherine W. Striley4, and Linda B. Cottler4

Abstract

A growing body of research is exploring the association between religiosity and drug use.

Thus, this analysis examines the association between religiosity and substance use patterns

among females in the criminal justice system. Data derived from 318 women recruited from a

Municipal Drug Court System in St. Louis, Missouri, were used to determine the association

between religiosity and substance use patterns. Results indicate that religiosity decreased the

odds of cocaine use, observed for both crack/cocaine (CC) use alone (adjusted odds ratio

[AOR] = 0.41) and crack/cocaine + marijuana (CC + MJ) (AOR = 0.32). Interestingly, this

association was not found for MJ use alone. Other variables that were significantly associated

with CC + MJ use included being non-Black (CC + MJ: AOR = 0.46; MJ: AOR = 0.28), 4+

arrests (CC + MJ: AOR = 4.66; CC: AOR = 2.64), and <30 years of age (CC + MJ: AOR = 0.37;

CC: AOR = 0.16; MJ: AOR = 2.84). Future drug prevention and interventions should consider

the potential protective effects of religiosity on substance use.

Keywords

religiosity, religion, women, criminal justice, substance use

Introduction

Substance Use, the Criminal Justice System, and Religiosity

With nearly 23 million people in need of substance use treatment, it is evident that new and effec-

tive interventions are needed to curb this epidemic, especially in criminal justice populations

(National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2015). The prevalence of substance use among those

in the criminal justice system has been shown to be up to 5 times that of those in the general popu-

lation (Fulkerson, Keena, & O’Brien, 2013; Harner & Riley, 2013; Staton-Tindall, Harp, Winston,

1Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

2University of Florida, Jacksonville, USA

3Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital, Gangtok, India

4Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Abenaa A. Jones, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins

University, 624 North Broadway, 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205-1999, USA.

Email: aacheam1@jhu.edu

757208JODXXX10.1177/0022042618757208Journal of Drug IssuesJones et al.

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