Citation

Coulter RWS, Jun HJ, Calzo JP, Truong NL, Mair C, Markovic N, Charlton BM, Silvestre AJ, Stall R, Corliss HL. Addiction 2018; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02115.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/add.14251

PMID

29679419

Abstract

AIMS: We estimated sexual-orientation differences in alcohol use trajectories during emerging adulthood, and tested whether alcohol use trajectories mediated sexual-orientation differences in alcohol use disorders (AUDs).

DESIGN: Longitudinal self-reported survey data from the Growing Up Today Study. SETTING: USA. PARTICIPANTS: 12,493 participants aged 18-25 during the 2003, 2005, 2007, or 2010 surveys. MEASUREMENTS: Stratified by gender, longitudinal latent class analyses estimated alcohol use trajectories (using past-year frequency, quantity, and binge drinking from 2003-2010). Multinomial logistic regression tested differences in trajectory class memberships by sexual orientation (comparing completely heterosexual [CH] participants with sexual-minority subgroups: mostly heterosexual [MH], bisexual [BI], and gay/lesbian [GL] participants). Modified Poisson regression and mediation analyses tested whether trajectories explained sexual-orientation differences in AUDs (past-year DSM-IV abuse/dependence in 2010).

FINDINGS: Six alcohol use trajectory classes emerged for women and five for men: these included heavy (23.5%/36.9% of women/men), moderate (31.8%/26.4% of women/men), escalation-to-moderately-heavy (9.7%/12.0% of women/men), light (17.0% for women only), legal (drinking onset at age 21; 11.1%/15.7% of women/men), and non-drinkers (7.0%/9.1% of women/men). Compared with CH women, MH and BI women had higher odds of being heavy, moderate, escalation-to-moderately-heavy, and light drinkers versus non-drinkers (odds ratios=2.02-3.42; p-values:<0.01-0.04). Compared with CH men, MH men had higher odds of being heavy, moderate, and legal drinkers versus non-drinkers (odds ratios=2.24-3.34; p-values:<0.01-0.01). MH men and women, BI women, and GLs had higher risk of AUDs in 2010 than their same-gender CH counterparts (risk ratios=1.34-2.17; p-values:<0.01). Alcohol use trajectories mediated sexual-orientation differences in AUDs for MH and GL women (proportion of effect mediated=30.8%-31.1%; p-values:<0.01-0.02) but not for men.

CONCLUSIONS: In the US, throughout emerging adulthood, several sexual-minority subgroups appear to have higher odds of belonging to heavier alcohol use trajectories than completely heterosexuals. These differences partially explained the higher risk of alcohol use disorders among mostly heterosexual and gay/lesbian women but not among sexual-minority men.

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Language: en