Is religious affiliation associated with parent disciplinary behavior in Suriname and Guyana.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although limited, there is some evidence that certain physical punishments may vary by household religion. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether parent disciplinary behavior varies by religious affiliation in two countries which have large, diverse religious groups. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys for Suriname (2018) and Guyana (2019-20), which contain nationally representative household samples, were used. The study was restricted to the three most prevalent religious groups Christians, Hindus, and Muslims. METHODS: Adult responses to a standardized survey that included questions about use of disciplinary behaviors in the household towards children (aged 1-14 years) were examined in relation to religious affiliation of the head-of-household and multiple covariates. RESULTS: Of the 3518 Suriname households, 62.4 %, 23.3 % and 14.3 % were Christians, Hindus, and Muslims, respectively. Compared to Christians, children in both Hindu and Muslim households had significantly lower odds of being hit with an object in adjusted logistic regression models. However, only Hindus had lower odds of being spanked and Muslims lower odds of exposure to a combined physical and non-physical practice, compared to Christians. Of the 2535 Guyana households, 69.5 %, 23.5 % and 7.0 % were Christians, Hindus, and Muslims, respectively. Children in Hindu, but not Muslim households, had significantly lower odds of being spanked, hit with an object, and exposed to a combine practice in adjusted models compared to Christians. CONCLUSIONS: Partial support was found for a potential influence of religion on some disciplinary behaviors. Further investigation is warranted to identify possible conditions and mechanisms.