Patterns of Alcohol Use and Consequences Among Empirically Derived Sexual Minority Subgroups

Talley, Amelia E.; Sher, Kenneth J.; Steinley, Douglas; Wood, Phillip K.; Littlefield, Andrew K.

doi:10.15288/jsad.2012.73.290

Cited by 52 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(103 reference statements)

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“…Within this context, substance use may be integral to promoting social connectedness as part of a younger "lesbian and gay scene" that is often centered in clubs and bars (Valentine and Skelton, 2003) and "sexualized social contexts" such as sex clubs (Garofalo et al, 2007). In that regard, a recent study found that alcohol use among lesbian/bisexual college students, compared with heterosexual women, was more strongly infl uenced by desires to get in with a preferred group, although this same effect was not present among men (Talley et al, 2012). It is also possible that tolerant substance use norms are simply part of a cluster of more liberal attitudes about a broad range of social issues that are characteristic of this subpopulation (Herek et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Substance Use Norms and Perceived Drug Availability Mediate Sexual Orientation Differences in Patterns of Substance Use? Results from the California Quality of Life Survey II

Cochran

Grella

Mays

2012

J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs

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ABSTRACT. Objective: Illicit drug and heavy alcohol use is more common among sexual minorities compared with heterosexuals. This difference has sometimes been attributed to more tolerant substance use norms within the gay community, although evidence is sparse. The current study investigated the role of perceived drug availability and tolerant injunctive norms in mediating the linkage between minority sexual orientation status and higher rates of prior-year substance use. Method: We used data from the second California Quality of Life Survey (Cal-QOL II), a followback telephone survey in 2008-2009 of individuals fi rst interviewed in the population-based 2007 California Health Interview Survey. The sample comprised 2,671 individuals, oversampled for minority sexual orientation. Respondents were administered a structured interview assessing past-year alcohol and illicit drug use, perceptions of perceived illicit drug availability, and injunctive norms concerning illicit drug and heavier alcohol use. We used structural equation modeling methods to test a mediational model linking sexual orientation and substance use behaviors via perceptions of drug availability and social norms pertaining to substance use. Results: Compared with heterosexual individuals, sexual minorities reported higher levels of substance use, perceived drug availability, and tolerant social norms. A successfully fi tting model suggests that much of the association between minority sexual orientation and substance use is mediated by these sexual orientation-related differences in drug availability perceptions and tolerant norms for substance use. Conclusions: Social environmental context, including subcultural norms and perceived drug availability, is an important factor infl uencing substance use among sexual minorities and should be addressed in community interventions. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 73, 675-685, 2012) A CCUMULATING EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT individuals with minority sexual orientation, regardless of their gender, tend to have higher rates of illicit drug and heavy alcohol use than do their same-gender heterosexual counterparts (Burgard et al., 2005;Cochran et al., , 2004Drabble et al., 2005;Gruskin et al., 2001;Hughes et al., 2010;McCabe et al., 2009;McLaughlin et al., 2010;Talley et al., 2011). Several population-based studies have reported higher rates of illicit drug and alcohol use and problem drinking among homosexually active women compared with exclusively heterosexual women, even after controlling for differences in sociodemographic characteristics (Burgard et al., 2005;Cochran et al., , 2004Drabble et al., 2005;Gruskin et al., 2001;Hughes et al., 2010;McCabe et al., 2009;McLaughlin et al., 2010;Talley et al., 2011). Further, a population-based survey of women ages 18-29 in low-income neighborhoods in northern California found that women who reported having both male and female sexual partners had signifi cantly higher rates of injection drug use compared with others (Scheer et al., 2002). Similarly, studies conducted with m...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Substance Use Norms and Perceived Drug Availability Mediate Sexual Orientation Differences in Patterns of Substance Use? Results from the California Quality of Life Survey II

Cochran

Grella

Mays

2012

J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs

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“…However, the findings concerning sexual-orientation drinking disparities among college students are inconsistent (Eisenberg and Wechsler, 2003; Hatzenbuehler et al, 2008; Kerr et al, 2014; McCabe et al, 2003, 2005; Reed et al, 2010; Ridner et al, 2006; Schauer et al, 2013; Talley et al, 2010, 2012). We know even less about whether LGB and heterosexual students drink in similar or different contexts (e.g., bars, Greek parties, off-campus parties).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual-orientation differences in drinking patterns and use of drinking contexts among college students

Coulter

Marzell

Saltz

et al. 2016

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

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Background Evidence suggests there are important sexual-orientation differences in alcohol consumption, particularly among women. Little is known about where gay/lesbian and bisexual college students drink or differences in patterns of alcohol use between heterosexual, gay/lesbian, and bisexual students. The goal of this analysis was to examine patterns of alcohol consumption—including drinking prevalence, quantity, frequency, and contexts of use—by sexual orientation. Methods Data on sexual identity, gender, drinking behaviors, and drinking contexts were examined from repeated cross-sectional samples of undergraduate students attending 14 public California universities from 2003–2011 (n=58,903). Multivariable statistical techniques were employed to examine sexual-orientation differences stratified by gender. Results Gay males, lesbians, and bisexual females were significantly more likely to report drinking alcohol in the current semester than their same-gender heterosexual peers (relative risks ranged from 1.07 to 1.10, p-values<0.01). Among current drinkers, bisexual females consumed 7 or more drinks and lesbians consumed 10 or more drinks on significantly more days than heterosexual females. On the other hand, gay male drinkers consumed 8 or more drinks on significantly fewer days than heterosexual male drinkers. Compared to their same-gender heterosexual peers: lesbian/gay and bisexual students drank less frequently at Greek parties (incidence rate ratios [IRRs] ranged from 0.52 to 0.73, p-values<0.01); lesbians (IRR=0.84, p=0.043) and bisexual males (IRR=0.82, p=0.009) drank less frequently at off-campus parties; and gay males drank more frequently outdoors (IRR=1.63, p<0.001) and at bars/restaurants (IRR=1.21, p=0.013). Conclusions Alcohol prevention programs and future research should consider sexual-orientation differences in drinking patterns and drinking contexts.

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“…sexual minority adolescents) are at increased risk of alcohol problem use compared to their heterosexual counterparts. They are more likely to report earlier onset of alcohol use, more frequent and heavier drinking and more alcohol-related problems [3][4][5][6][7]. A number of studies have found that gender moderated the effect of sexual orientation on drinking, with reports that sexual minority female adolescents are more likely to engage in heavy drinking than males, compared to their heterosexual counterparts [3,8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual orientation and alcohol problem use among UK adolescents: an indirect link through depressed mood

2014

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Patterns of Alcohol Use and Consequences Among Empirically Derived Sexual Minority Subgroups

Cited by 52 publications

References 63 publications

Do Substance Use Norms and Perceived Drug Availability Mediate Sexual Orientation Differences in Patterns of Substance Use? Results from the California Quality of Life Survey II

Do Substance Use Norms and Perceived Drug Availability Mediate Sexual Orientation Differences in Patterns of Substance Use? Results from the California Quality of Life Survey II

Sexual-orientation differences in drinking patterns and use of drinking contexts among college students

Sexual orientation and alcohol problem use among UK adolescents: an indirect link through depressed mood

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