Factors Influencing Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minority Women in a Non-Urban Community: A Mixed Methods Study

Cogger, Alise; Conover, Kristin J.; Israel, Tania

doi:10.1080/15538605.2012.727745

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although representations across groups were similar, some representations, such as alcohol use in fostering community connection and mediating stress, appeared to be particularly salient for sexual minority women. These findings are congruent with other qualitative studies of sexual minority women that describe the role of alcohol in managing stress and anxiety and facilitating social interaction (Cogger, Conover, & Israel, 2012; Condit et al, 2011; Reyes, 1998). …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Alcohol in the life narratives of women: Commonalities and differences by sexual orientation

Drabble

Trocki

2013

Addiction Research & Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim The aim of this study was to explore social representations of alcohol use among women, with a focus on possible differences between sexual minority and heterosexual women. Methods This qualitative study was part of a larger study examining mediators of heavier drinking among sexual minority women (lesbian identified, bisexual identified, and heterosexual identified with same sex partners) compared to heterosexual women based on the National Alcohol Survey. Qualitative in-depth life history interviews were conducted over the telephone with 48 women who had participated in the 2009–2010 National Alcohol Survey, including respondents representing different sexual orientation groups. Questions explored the lives and experiences of women, and how use of alcohol may connect to those experiences. Findings Representations about normative and risky use included social use, use in relation to community connection, addictive use and self-medication. Other representations common across groups included articulation of boundaries that were defined by negative exemplars, marked by indicators of loss of control, and maintained through selective engagement of social networks. Although representations across groups were similar, some representations, such as alcohol use in fostering community connection, appeared to be more salient for sexual minority women. The findings of the study underscore the importance of considering both commonalities and potential differences among women by sexual orientation in meanings and perceived risks associated with alcohol use in future research and intervention efforts.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Alcohol in the life narratives of women: Commonalities and differences by sexual orientation

Drabble

Trocki

2013

Addiction Research & Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An extensive literature supporting Social Norms Theory (Berkowitz, 2004; Borsari & Carey, 2003; Perkins, 2003; Perkins & Berkowitz, 1986) as well as research demonstrating lesbian community social norms to be particularly powerful (Boyle & Omoto, 2014; Cogger et al, 2012) suggest that light- and moderate-drinking lesbian community members overestimating the degree to which lesbian peers engage in heavy drinking may be inclined to increase their own drinking over time as a means of approximating the perceived lesbian community normative standard. In addition, heavy-drinking lesbians misperceiving their high-risk drinking to be more normative than it really is may justify their behavior, and continue their pattern of heavy consumption.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although sexual minority stress (Frost & Meyer, 2009; Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Meyer, 2003) remains the most researched and supported explanation for sexual orientation-based substance use disparities (Amadio, 2006; Austin & Irwin, 2010; Chakraborty, McManus, Brugha, Bebbington, & King, 2011; Condit, Kitaji, Drabble, & Trocki, 2011; Herek & Garnets, 2007; Hughes, 2003; Hughes, McCabe, Wilsnack, West, & Boyd, 2010; Lehavot & Simoni, 2011; Lick, Durso, & Johnson, 2013; McCabe, Bostwick, Hughes, West, & Boyd, 2010), numerous researchers have identified social norms in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities to also be contributing factors to substance use among LGBT populations (Cochran, Grella, & Mays, 2012; Cogger, Conover, & Israel, 2012; Gilmore et al, 2014; Green & Feinstein, 2012; Hamilton & Mahalik, 2009; Johns et al, 2013). For lesbians in particular, research has revealed perceptions of lesbian community social norms and pressures to conform to lesbian community normative standards to be particularly powerful psychological influences (Boyle & Omoto, 2014; Cogger et al, 2012), and there is growing evidence that perceptions of heavy drinking as a normative behavior in lesbian communities contribute to heavier alcohol use (Cochran et al, 2012; Gilmore et al, 2014; Green & Feinstein, 2012; Hatzenbuehler, Corbin, & Fromme, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For lesbians in particular, research has revealed perceptions of lesbian community social norms and pressures to conform to lesbian community normative standards to be particularly powerful psychological influences (Boyle & Omoto, 2014; Cogger et al, 2012), and there is growing evidence that perceptions of heavy drinking as a normative behavior in lesbian communities contribute to heavier alcohol use (Cochran et al, 2012; Gilmore et al, 2014; Green & Feinstein, 2012; Hatzenbuehler, Corbin, & Fromme, 2008). We contend that sexual minority stress and social norms explanations for lesbians’ heavy drinking may be understood as two sides of the same coin (Cochran et al, 2012; Lick et al, 2013).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Do lesbians overestimate alcohol use norms? Exploring the potential utility of personalized normative feedback interventions to reduce high-risk drinking in Southern California lesbian communities

Boyle

LaBrie

Witkovic

2016

Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study examines the potential utility of social norms-based approaches to reduce heavy alcohol use in lesbian community settings. In a sample of 278 Southern Californian lesbians recruited from social media networks to complete an online survey, the majority of participants overestimated the quantity of alcohol consumed by their lesbian peers and more frequent lesbian bar attendance was associated with elevated perceptions of how much other lesbians drink. Greater than 90% of participants expressed interest in receiving personalized normative feedback, suggesting that culturally tailored personalized normative feedback interventions focused on correcting perceptions of heavy drinking may be successful in mitigating the alcohol-related risks of lesbians in Southern California, and potentially beyond.

show abstract

“…Links between hazardous alcohol use among sexual minority adults and experiences of minority stressors include perceived discrimination, 11,12 and interpersonal violence. 13,14 Differences in community norms around drinking, including differences in where and with whom sexual minority and heterosexual individuals drink, 15,16 the role that alcohol plays in the LGBT community and identity development, 17,18 and the use of alcohol to cope with general and minority stressors, 19 have also been studied. However, factors at all levels of the social ecology (individual, interpersonal, community, and policy) shape differential risk for binge drinking, yet few studies have examined policy-level factors and their relationship with differences in binge drinking across sex and sexual orientation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

State-Level Alcohol Environments and Sexual Identity Disparities in Binge Drinking in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: Binge drinking disparities by sexual identity are well documented. Stronger alcohol policy environments reduce binge drinking in the general population. We examined whether state-level alcohol policy environments have the same association with binge drinking among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults as among heterosexual adults. Methods: Binge drinking, sexual identity, and demographic characteristics were extracted from the 2015 to 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The strength of the alcohol policy environment was measured by using the Alcohol Policy Scale (APS) score. We estimated the association between APS score and binge drinking by using logistic regression and included an interaction term between APS score and sexual identity. Results: The interaction between APS score and sexual identity was not significant, and findings differed between women and men. Among women, a higher APS score was associated with lower odds of binge drinking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94-0.99). Differences in binge drinking by sexual identity remained after adjusting for individual and state-level factors (e.g., the percentage of LGB adults in the state). Compared with heterosexual women, the odds of binge drinking were 43% higher (aOR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.17-1.75) among lesbian women and 58% higher (aOR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.40-1.79) among bisexual women. A higher APS score was not associated with binge drinking among men. Conclusion: Stronger state-level alcohol policy environments were associated with lower binge drinking among women. Lesbian and bisexual women were still more likely to engage in binge drinking compared with heterosexual women even in states with stronger alcohol policy environments.

show abstract

Factors Influencing Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minority Women in a Non-Urban Community: A Mixed Methods Study

Cited by 12 publications

References 33 publications

Alcohol in the life narratives of women: Commonalities and differences by sexual orientation

Alcohol in the life narratives of women: Commonalities and differences by sexual orientation

Do lesbians overestimate alcohol use norms? Exploring the potential utility of personalized normative feedback interventions to reduce high-risk drinking in Southern California lesbian communities

State-Level Alcohol Environments and Sexual Identity Disparities in Binge Drinking in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About