WITHDRAWN: Church Attendance As a Protective Factor Against Alcohol Use Among African American Women Caregivers Coping with Stress

This study investigates church attendance as a protective factor against using alcohol for coping with stress among African American women caregivers (N=489). Data are from the Black Rural and Urban Caregivers Mental Health and Functioning Study, a cross sectional survey of rural and urban African American women who are caregivers to African American elders. Thirteen percent of women in this study report using alcohol as a coping strategy which may indicate a higher risk of developing an alcohol use disorder in the future. Binary logistic regression analysis reveals that higher religious attendance is associated with lower use of alcohol (p=0.0003), while personal religious/spiritual activities (e.g. prayer) are not significantly associated with alcohol use. Additionally, being younger (p<0.0001), living in an urban area (p=0.04), and being in better health (p=0.001) are significantly related to an increase in the use of alcohol for coping. These results suggest that African American women caregivers with higher religious attendance are better able to find healthier ways of coping with stress, and that religious-based social support may serve as a unique protective factor against the use of alcohol for coping. Prevention efforts specific to African American religious bodies are recommended to help deter problematic drinking as a form of coping for African American women who are caring for older adults.