2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

334944
Acceptance of health emphasis in doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and alcohol abuse/use in a population of young adult church members


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Duane C. McBride, PhD, Behavioral Science Department, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI
Gary Hopkins, MD, DrPH, Institute for Prevention of Addidtions, Department of Behavioral Science, Andrews University, Post Falls, ID
Alina Baltazar, MSW, Social Work Department, Andrews Univesity, Berrien Springs, MI
Curtis J. VanderWaal, MSW, PhD, Department of Social Work, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI
Karl G. D. Bailey, PhD, Cognitive Psychology, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI
background: Extensive medical research examining health behaviors of members of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church shows that high rates of healthy behaviors in this group are associated with lower rates of morbidity and mortality.

objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between adoption of the health emphasis of the SDA church, involvement in religious activities, and binge drinking, alcohol use in the last year and the last 30 days in a population of students at a university affiliated with the SDA church.

methods: A survey was conducted in 2012 using a sample of classes representative of the student body (N=~750). The study was approved by the institutional IRB and focused on a wide variety of health risk behaviors as well as potential protective and risk experiences and relationships.

results: Analysis showed that high acceptance of the health emphasis of the SDA church had an OR of .39 with binge drinking, .29 for any alcohol use in the last year, and .29 for any alcohol use in the last 30 days. Similarly, among those who attended church once a week or more, there was an OR of.24 for binge drinking, .36 for alcohol use in the last year and .36 for alcohol use in the last month.

implications: The data suggest the protective role that acceptance of the health emphasis of the SDA church and frequent attendance has on young adult members’ recent and heavy alcohol use and may contribute to understanding lower morbidity rates of SDAs.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Explain the relationship between degree of acceptance of health emphasis among Seventh-day Adventists and rates of alcohol abuse

Keyword(s): Alcohol Use, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I hold a PhD in Sociology and have been involved in public health research during most of my 42 year career. I have been the principle investigator or co-pi on a number of substance abuse epidemiology and policy projects supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I have over 100 publications in these areas include at least two in the American Journal of Public Health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4177.0: Recent and innovative work in alcohol studies