Do Religious Factors Buffer the Effects of Financial Strain on Substance Misuse?

Using Data from the 2014 Nashville Stress and Health Study (NSAHS), a random probability sample of non-Hispanic black and white men and women aged 22 to 69 residing in Davidson Country, Tennessee, this study examines how multiple dimensions of religion and educational attainment affect the relationship between financial strain and substance misuse. Findings suggest that (a) only certain facets of religion are inversely associated with substance misuse, (b) that religious coping is the only aspect of religion that moderates the relationship between financial strain and substance misuse, and (c) the inclusion of educational attainment provides mixed results of religiousness's role in deterring/promoting substance misuse. Research implications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.