Mediation and Moderation of Religion-Substance Abuse Relationships By Genotype
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background
The negative correlation between substance abuse and religiosity is well-established, and often cited as a mechanism through which religiosity affects general health. However, little research has examined the mechanism underlying the addiction/religiosity relationship itself. Previous literature on substance abuse documents significant relationships of substance abuse disorders with dopamine and serotonin transporters genes. Other studies demonstrate genetic underpinnings to religiosity. The current study sought to evaluate how religiosity, substance abuse, and genetics may interact.
Methods
Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which surveyed over 15000 subjects in four waves, from age 12 to 38. Genotyping was performed for candidate genes previously correlated with mental health: the serotonin transporter promoter (5HTTLPR), dopamine transporter (DAT1), dopamine receptor subtype 4 (DRD4), and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA). For this analysis genotypes were dichotomized by activity levels, per previous literature. Religious variables (attendance, importance of religion, and prayer) were modeled across Waves I-IV using growth mixture modeling. To these models, genotypes were added to assess mediation relationships. Stratified analyses were performed to test for moderation of religion/addiction relationships by genotype.
Results
Evidence of mediation of the religion/substance abuse relationship was apparent for 5HT and DAT. DAT appeared to mediate the relationship of baseline binge drinking to later religious attendance. Multiple relationships of religious importance and frequency of prayer to future substance abuse became non-significant when controlled for 5HTTPLR. Moderation analysis found substantial variation in religion/substance use relationships according to genotype.
Conclusions
This analysis indicates that religiosity may relate to addiction partially through correlation with genes, and that religion/substance use relationships may vary by genotype. Further research on the relationship of 5HTLLPR to religious phenomena, particularly personal prayer, is warranted. Improved understanding of how religion reduces substance abuse will inform prevention and treatment efforts.
Article Details
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
2. Lucchese FA, Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality and cardiovascular disease: research, clinical implications, and opportunities in Brazil. Revista brasileira de cirurgia cardiovascular : orgao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular. 2013 Mar;28(1):103-28. PubMed PMID: 23739939. Epub 2013/06/07. eng.
3. Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. ISRN psychiatry. 2012;2012:278730. PubMed PMID: 23762764. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC3671693. Epub 2012/01/01. eng.
4. George LK, Kinghorn WA, Koenig HG, Gammon P, Blazer DG. Why gerontologists should care about empirical research on religion and health: transdisciplinary perspectives. The Gerontologist. 2013 Dec;53(6):898-906. PubMed PMID: 23442382. Epub 2013/02/28. eng.
5. Dew RE, Daniel SS, Armstrong TD, Goldston DB, Triplett MF, Koenig HG. Religion/Spirituality and adolescent psychiatric symptoms: a review. Child psychiatry and human development. 2008 Dec;39(4):381-98. PubMed PMID: 18219572.
6. Gryczynski J, Ward BW. Religiosity, heavy alcohol use, and vicarious learning networks among adolescents in the United States. Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education. 2012 Jun;39(3):341-51. PubMed PMID: 21986246. Epub 2011/10/12. eng.
7. Kendler KS, Myers J. A developmental twin study of church attendance and alcohol and nicotine consumption: a model for analyzing the changing impact of genes and environment. The American journal of psychiatry. 2009 Oct;166(10):1150-5. PubMed PMID: 19755576. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC2859299. Epub 2009/09/17. eng.
8. Timberlake DS, Rhee SH, Haberstick BC, Hopfer C, Ehringer M, Lessem JM, et al. The moderating effects of religiosity on the genetic and environmental determinants of smoking initiation. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2006 Feb;8(1):123-33. PubMed PMID: 16497606. Epub 2006/02/25. eng.
9. Button TM, Hewitt JK, Rhee SH, Corley RP, Stallings MC. The moderating effect of religiosity on the genetic variance of problem alcohol use. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research. 2010 Sep 1;34(9):1619-24. PubMed PMID: 20569244. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC2929317. Epub 2010/06/24. eng.
10. Bidwell LC, Garrett ME, McClernon FJ, Fuemmeler BF, Williams RB, Ashley-Koch AE, et al. A preliminary analysis of interactions between genotype, retrospective ADHD symptoms, and initial reactions to smoking in a sample of young adults. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2012 Feb;14(2):229-33. PubMed PMID: 21778150. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC3265740. Epub 2011/07/23. eng.
11. Sharpley CF, Palanisamy SK, Glyde NS, Dillingham PW, Agnew LL. An update on the interaction between the serotonin transporter promoter variant (5-HTTLPR), stress and depression, plus an exploration of non-confirming findings. Behavioural brain research. 2014 Jul 28;273C:89-105. PubMed PMID: 25078292. Epub 2014/08/01. Eng.
12. Banaschewski T, Becker K, Scherag S, Franke B, Coghill D. Molecular genetics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: an overview. European child & adolescent psychiatry. 2010 Mar;19(3):237-57. PubMed PMID: 20145962. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC2839490. Epub 2010/02/11. eng.
13. Armstrong TA, Boutwell BB, Flores S, Symonds M, Keller S, Gangitano DA. Monoamine oxidase A genotype, childhood adversity, and criminal behavior in an incarcerated sample. Psychiatric genetics. 2014 Aug;24(4):164-71. PubMed PMID: 24983833. Epub 2014/07/02. eng.
14. Dew R, Koenig HG. Religious Involvement, the Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism, and Drug Use in Young Adults. International Journal of Social Science Studies. 2013;2(1).
15. Borg J, Andree B, Soderstrom H, Farde L. The serotonin system and spiritual experiences. The American journal of psychiatry. 2003 Nov;160(11):1965-9. PubMed PMID: 14594742. Epub 2003/11/05. eng.
16. Nilsson KW, Damberg M, Ohrvik J, Leppert J, Lindstrom L, Anckarsater H, et al. Genes encoding for AP-2beta and the Serotonin Transporter are associated with the Personality Character Spiritual Acceptance. Neuroscience letters. 2007 Jan 16;411(3):233-7. PubMed PMID: 17123722. Epub 2006/11/25. eng.
17. Koopmans JR, Slutske WS, van Baal GC, Boomsma DI. The influence of religion on alcohol use initiation: evidence for genotype X environment interaction. Behavior genetics. 1999 Nov;29(6):445-53. PubMed PMID: 10857249. Epub 2000/06/17. eng.
18. Beaver KM, Gibson CL, Jennings WG, Ward JT. A gene X environment interaction between DRD2 and religiosity in the prediction of adolescent delinquent involvement in a sample of males. Biodemography and social biology. 2009;55(1):71-81. PubMed PMID: 19835101. Epub 2009/10/20. eng.