The Role of Religion with Alcohol Use for Deaf and Hard of Hearing College Students in the United States.

One protective factor for college alcohol use is religion. Though researchers have seen this protective factor in the literature on hearing college students, they do not know whether it is also protective for deaf and hard of hearing students. In a more extensive study of deaf and hard of hearing students, researchers interviewed 50 participants in American Sign Language at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC to explore their perspectives and experiences of alcohol use and related harms. Researchers extracted the data about religion and completed further thematic analysis. They identified three themes: a lack of recognition of religion in general, religion as a protective factor, and negative experiences with religion. Though there was a range of experiences with religion and alcohol use, this study suggests that students' religion may motivate healthier alcohol use for deaf and hard of hearing students.