Spirituality and substance use in a sample of Russian adolescents

The aim was to examine the effects of spirituality on recent cigarette and alcohol use, intentions to use cigarette and alcohol, and perceived risks of cigarette/alcohol use in a sample of Russian adolescents. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 362 10th graders from Ufa, Russia. Adolescents scoring higher on spirituality were significantly more likely to report lower levels of intentions to use cigarettes or alcohol. However, spirituality was not associated with recent cigarette/alcohol use or perceived risks. Analyzed separately for ethnic Russians and non-Russians, the relationship between spirituality and intentions were significant only among ethnic non-Russians. Our data suggests that the protective effects of spirituality on substance use may not be universal and may depend on subjects’ national, ethnic, or religious background.