Citation

Fairlie AM, Feinstein BA, Lee CM, Kaysen D. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 2018; 79(5): 741-750.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

30422788

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbians, bisexual women) are at increased risk for alcohol use disorders and related problems compared with heterosexual women. However, little is known about the social context in which drinking occurs in this high-risk population. This study used latent class analysis to identify subgroups of SMW based on drinking locations and companions and examined whether class membership was associated with consequences, drinking motives, and LGBTQ-related constructs (e.g., outness, discrimination).

METHOD: A sample of 670 SMW reported on alcohol use, drinking locations and companions, and related measures as part of a larger study on women's health.

RESULTS: Based on SMW's patterns of responding to drinking locations and companions, latent class analysis identified five classes: Infrequent Drinking Contexts (10% of sample, reference class), Private/Intimate Drinking (28%), Convivial Drinking (29%), Alone/Convivial Drinking (20%), and Multiple Drinking Contexts (13%). Greater consequences were associated with greater odds of membership in the Convivial, Alone/Convivial, and Multiple Drinking Contexts classes relative to the Infrequent Drinking Contexts Class. Drinking motives were associated with class membership, although significant group comparisons varied by motive. Higher LGBTQ community involvement was associated with greater odds of membership in the Convivial, Alone/Convivial, and Multiple Drinking Contexts classes.

CONCLUSIONS: Drinking classes paralleled those found in the literature on heterosexual individuals (e.g., public versus private contexts). Women in the Alone/Convivial and Multiple Drinking Contexts classes may be at particular risk. The context within which SMW drink may be a useful way to identify women at highest risk for problematic drinking.

Language: en