An Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Use Comparison of Lesbian, Bisexual & Heterosexual Undergraduate Women
BACKGROUND:
Little
research has focused specifically on alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD)
use of lesbian and bisexual women in general or the college subgroup specifically.
Previous research shows sexual minority women at increased risk when compared
to their heterosexual counterparts.
OBJECTIVES:
The
purpose of the current study was to compare ATOD use of lesbian, bisexual, and
heterosexual undergraduate college women.
METHODS:
A
secondary analysis of three fall semesters (2009-2011) of American College
Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA-II) data was
conducted. Women who self-identified as gay/lesbian (N = 538), bisexual (N =
1579), and heterosexual (N = 40,869) were compared on ATOD use. Chi-square
Tests were used to analyze differences between the groups and logistic
regression determined odds ratios of ATOD use.
RESULTS:
Bisexual
women had greater odds of using alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana than heterosexual
women and lesbians. They also had greater odds of using all illicit drugs
(except steroids) and misusing prescription drugs than heterosexual women and
greater odds of using amphetamines other than meth, sedatives, and ecstasy when
compared to lesbians. Lesbians had greater odds of using tobacco, marijuana,
sedatives, hallucinogens, other illegal drugs and misusing prescription drugs
than heterosexual women.
The study confirms increased
ATOD use among sexual minority women as compared to their heterosexual
counterparts with bisexual women having the highest use. This is the first
study to examine misuse of prescription drugs among a large number of lesbian
and bisexual college women, and contributes to the scant literature addressing
college women's ATOD use by sexual orientation.
- 1Health Education & Promotion, Kent State University, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA.
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