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Anna Rita Spein, M.D., Ph.D. Center for Sami Health Research, Karasjok.

The influence of religious factors on drinking behavior among young indigenous Sami and non-Sami peers in northern Norway. Anna Rita Spein, M.D., Ph.D. Center for Sami Health Research, Karasjok. Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway. E-mail: anna.rita.spein@uit.no.

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Anna Rita Spein, M.D., Ph.D. Center for Sami Health Research, Karasjok.

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  1. The influence of religious factors on drinking behavior among young indigenous Sami and non-Sami peers in northern Norway Anna Rita Spein, M.D., Ph.D. Center for Sami Health Research, Karasjok. Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway. E-mail: anna.rita.spein@uit.no Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  2. Sami Parliament, Karasjok Co-authors: Roald Kristiansen, Marita Melhus & Siv Kvernmo Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  3. SAPMI: northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland & the Russian Kola Peninsula Estimated population size: 100 000 70% of the Sami is residing in Norway Have their own culture and language Norway: formal status as indigenous people Historical: colonization of Sapmi, assimilation (Norway) and separation (Sweden) policy Norway: 10% semi nomadic reindeer herding SAPMI – The Sami people Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  4. Semi nomadic reindeer herding Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  5. Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  6. Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  7. Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  8. Summary of drinking among young Sami • Higher abstinence rates/lower lifetime prevalence • Less current drinking, less intoxication and binge drinking • Higher parental abstinence rates; 49% of mothers & 24% of the • fathers in the Sami Highland • Higher alcohol involvement among assimilated Sami • Strong Sami/ethnic identity was associated with less binging • Sami reported more often public drinking • Sami reported more often worries from family and friends about • their drinking Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  9. Religion in Sami • Pre-Christian religion – shamanistic - Sami folk music or sacred drum (”runebomma”) • ”Christianity of Sami” – Laestadianism: pietistic & conservative Lutherian revival movement • Founder Swedish/Sami priest Lars Levi Læstadius in the mid 1900 century • Alcohol was regarded as contrary to Christian values – a sin - and a threat to the Sami nomadic lifestyle (Kvist, 1986; Sköld & Kvist, 1988) Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  10. Hypothesis • Less drinking observed among Sami due to their strong influence of Laestadianism (Larsen, 1993) • Lower alcohol consumption level found among people 18 years and older in the Sami highland when compared to county average – higher church attendance rate – when compared to county/national levels (Saglie & Larsen, 1996) Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  11. STUDY AIMS To examine weather earlier noted ethnic differences in drinking behavior among young indigenous Sami and non-Sami peers could be partly or fully explained by correlates of religious affiliation (Laestadianism) and religious importance (personal Christian) when controlling for socio-demographic (ethnicity) and parental drinking and monitoring Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  12. The North Norwegian Youth Study (NNYS) – design & sample • Longitudinal, questionnaire survey: (T1) 1994/95 & (T2) 1997/98. T1 sample: totally 2950, including 375 Sami (22%) • T1: school-based study (RR: 85%) • T2: school based ＆ postal questionnaire study (RR: 58%) • T1: 21 high schools in communities in the three northern most counties having an ethnic diverse population • Based on youth self-report, including several different issues related to both physical and mental health Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  13. Measuring Sami ethnicity(Aubert, 1978; Høgmo, 1986; Kvernmo & Heyerdahl, 2003) Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  14. Findings: Ethnic differences in religious factors: • Religious importance: personal Christian Yes vs. No Sami vs. non-Sami: 14% vs. 7%, p≤.001. • Religious affiliation (Laestadian affiliation or background, either the youth themselves, or their parents seperately) Yes vs. No Sami vs. non-Sami: 10% vs. 3%, p≤.001. Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  15. Findings: Religion was associated with… Across ethnic groups……… • Higher youth abstinence rates • Less current drinking • Less alcohol intoxication • Higher parental (mother & father) abstinence rates • …no association were found to public drinking venue In non-Sami: • Less binge drinking (personal Christian only) • Less party drinking Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  16. Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  17. Findings: stepwise logistic regression • Sami ethnicity was only significant associated with 2/6 alcohol measures when controlling for religious, socio-demographic and parental factors - Current drinking - Party drinking Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  18. Conclusions • Laestadianism with it`s religious–socio-cultural context of abstinence contribute to less drinking among indigenous Sami • Religious – strong anti alcohol norms • Social (-environmental)– Upbringing in a Laestadian family or community context –less drinking - fewer drinking role models • Cultural markers of Sami values - Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  19. References based on the NNYS: • Kvernmo, S., (ed.), Johansen, Y., Spein, A.R. & Silviken, A.C. (2003) Young in Samiland, pp.51-56. Tromsø: Center for Sami Health Research, Department of Communtity Medicine, University of Tromsø. • Spein, A.R., Sexton, H. & Kvernmo, S. (2006) Longitudinal drinking patters in indigenous Sami and non-indigenous youth in northern Norway. Journal of Ethnicityin Substance Abuse; 5 (3): 103-117. Spein, A.R., Sexton, H. & Kvernmo, S. (2007) Substance use in young indigenous Sami: an ethnocultural and longitudinal perspective. Substance Use & Misuse; 42. Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

  20. Thank you for your attention Questions/references: anna.rita.spein@uit.no Photos: Anne Silviken Revkjavik, Iceland 23.08.2010.

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