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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Religiosity and Tobacco and Alcohol Use in a Brazilian Shantytown

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Pages 837-846 | Published online: 04 Apr 2012
 

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of religious involvement and religious beliefs in the prevalence and frequency of smoking and alcohol consumption. This was a cross-sectional, population-based study. In 2005, we conducted door-to-door interviews with 383 people, aged 18 years or more, randomly selected from the “Paraisopolis” shantytown in São Paulo, Brazil. Four regression models were created to explain the relationships among religious involvement, tobacco and alcohol use, controlling for demographic, social, and psychobehavioral factors. High religious attendance was associated with less alcohol use, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, and combined alcohol/tobacco use, as well as less days consuming alcoholic beverages per week, controlling for confounding factors. Additionally, high nonorganizational religious behavior was associated with less tobacco and combined alcohol/tobacco use. Religiosity plays an important role in the control of alcohol and tobacco use in a shantytown setting; further management initiatives in the area should consider this issue. The study's limitations are noted.

RÉSUMÉ

Religiosité, usage de tabac et d'alcool dans une favela brésilienne

Cet article a pour objectif d'analyser le rôle de l'engagement religieux et des croyances religieuses dans la prévalence et dans la fréquence des consommations de tabac et d'alcool. Il s'agit d'un étude transversale faite à partir de la population. En 2005, nous avons réalisé 383 interviews en porte à porte, sur des sujets âgés de plus de 18 ans, choisis au hasard dans la favela de Paraisopolis à São Paulo au Brésil. Quatre modèles de régression ont été créés pour expliquer les relations entre l'engagement religieux et l'usage de tabac et d'alcool, en prenant en compte les facteurs démographique, social, et psycho-comportemental. Une religiosité élevée a été reliée à moins d'alcool, d'abus d'alcool, d'usage de tabac, moins d'usage associé alcool/tabac et moins de journées de consommations de produits alcoolisés par semaine, le tout en contrôlant les facteurs confondants. De plus, un comportement religieux hautement non-organisé a été associé à moins de tabac et d'alcool/tabac. La religiosité joue un rôle important dans le contrôle de la consommation d'alcool et de tabac dans le cadre d'une favela, des initiatives de management plus poussées dans ce domaine devraient considérer cette question.

RESUMEN

Religiosidad, uso de alcohol y tabaquismo en una favela brasilera

El objetivo con el presente estudio es analizar el papel del envolvimiento religioso y de las creencias religiosas en la prevalencia y frecuencia del tabaquismo y consumo de alcohol. Fue realizado un estudio poblacional de carácter transversal en el año 2005. Fueron realizadas entrevistas domiciliarias en 383 personas, mayores de 18 años, seleccionadas randomicamente de la favela de Paraisópolis, localizada en Sao Paulo, Brasil. Fueron creados cuatro modelos de regresión para explicar las relaciones entre el envolvimiento religioso, tabaquismo y uso de alcohol, controlándose para variables demográficas, sociales y factores psico-comportamentales. Mayor frecuencia religiosa fue asociada a menor uso de alcohol, abuso de alcohol, tabaquismo y uso combinado de alcohol y tabaco, así como, menos días de consumo de alcohol, asimismo después del control de factores confundidores. De la misma forma, mayor religiosidad no organizacional fue asociada a menos tabaquismo y uso combinado de alcohol y tabaco. La religiosidad parece poseer un papel importante en el control del uso del alcohol y tabaco en las favelas. Nuevas iniciativas de gestión en esos lugares deben considerar ese aspecto.”

THE AUTHORS

Dr. Giancarlo Lucchetti, MD, is a general practitioner who specializes in the care of the elderly (geriatric medicine) at Santa Casa of São Paulo, Brazil. He coordinates the research department of São Paulo Medical Spiritist Association, Brazil, and at the Hospital João Evangelista, Brazil. He is a Ph.D. student in the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, and author of several articles regarding spirituality and health in indexed journals. Main areas of interest are spirituality/religiosity and their interface with mental and physical health in different settings, geriatrics and psychiatry.

Dr. Mario F. P. Peres, PhD, MD, FACP, is a neurologist with a Ph.D. from Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil, and a fellowship at the Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. He is currently a senior neurologist and researcher at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, one of the premier Brazilian hospitals, and also a professor at UNIFESP. He is the author of more than 90 scientific articles. Main areas of interest are neurology, melatonin, psychiatry, spirituality, and religiosity.

Dr. Alessandra L. G. Lucchetti, MD, is a general practitioner who specializes in the care of the elderly (geriatric medicine) at Santa Casa of São Paulo, Brazil. She is a member of the research department of São Paulo Medical Spiritist Association, Brazil. She is also an M.B.A. student in Fundação Getúlio Vargas, São Paulo, Brazil, and author of several articles regarding spirituality and health in indexed journals. Main areas of interest are spirituality and health, and geriatrics.

Dr. Harold G. Koenig, MD, MHSc, completed his undergraduate education at Stanford University, his medical school training at the University of California at San Francisco, and his geriatric medicine, psychiatry, and biostatistics training at Duke University Medical Center. He serves on the faculty at Duke as Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Associate Professor of medicine. Dr. Koenig is Director of Duke's Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health. He has published extensively in the fields of mental health, geriatrics, and religion, with over 300 scientific peer-reviewed articles, 60 book chapters, and 40 books in print or in preparation. Main areas of interest are religion, spirituality, geriatrics, and mental health.

Notes

3 The reader is referred to Hills's criteria for which were developed in order to help assist researchers and clinicians determine if posited risk factors were causes of a particular disease or outcomes or merely associated (Hill, Citation1965). Editor's note.

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