Sexual Minority Youth Alcohol Use: Risk and Protective Factors

描述(由申请人提供)：过度饮酒和酒精使用障碍(AUD)是美国主要的公共卫生问题。过度饮酒每年导致近225亿美元的经济成本和8万多人死亡。性少数群体青年(SMY；女同性恋者/男同性恋者、双性恋者、变性人和酷儿/质问者[LGBTQ+])由于其作为性少数群体和性别少数群体的独特经历(例如歧视、受害)，出现精神健康症状和酗酒的风险更高。他们过度饮酒的倾向使他们面临更大的不良后果风险，包括发展为AUD和与酒精相关的发病率和死亡率。国家卫生研究所和医学研究所都表示，研究人员需要解决性少数群体之间的健康差距问题。尽管发现SMY和年轻人过度饮酒的风险增加，但研究人员尚未建立一幅可改变的人际关系(与同龄人和父母的关系)和背景因素(学校氛围)如何影响他们饮酒的全面图景。因此，在现有研究中，关于异性恋和SMY之间以及SMY亚群之间的风险和保护因素指标如何不同(按性别、性少数群体地位和种族/族裔区分)，存在很大差距。因此，目前还没有针对SMY和年轻人饮酒的经验验证的预防或干预计划。这项国家研究服务奖(F32)将为申请者提供必要的培训和资源，以解决SMY健康差距问题，为作为一名新兴学者在该领域继续工作奠定基础。为了实现职业和研究目标，申请人需要接受以下方面的培训：(1)调查性少数群体中的健康差距，(2)发育背景下酒精使用的病因学和流行病学，以及(3)测试发育过程和背景影响的复杂定量方法。该培训计划将指导研究项目与课程作业、研讨会和会议相结合，使申请者能够建立一个强大而有影响力的研究计划，解决导致SMY饮酒的可改变的人际和背景因素。在目前的申请中涉及三个研究目标：(1)确定导致SMY和年轻人饮酒的可改变的人际和背景风险和保护因素；(2)测试可改变的人际和背景风险和保护因素的影响 Smy(例如，SMY特定的家庭支持、受害情况、学校氛围)对SMY和青少年饮酒有促进作用；以及(3)构建少数性行为酒精使用的发展理论模型，该模型将作为撰写K01奖的基础，在申请者职业生涯的后期阶段测试这些理论联系和主张。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are a leading public health concern in the United States. Excessive alcohol consumption is related to nearly $225 billion in economic costs and over 80,000 fatalities annually. Sexual minority youth (SMY; lesbian/gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning [LGBTQ+]) are at heightened risk for mental health symptoms and alcohol use due to their unique experiences as sexual and gender minorities (e.g., discrimination, victimization). Their propensity for excessive alcohol use puts them at greater risk for adverse consequences, including the development of an AUD and alcohol related morbidity and mortality. Both the National Institute of Health and the Institute of Medicine have expressed the need for researchers to address health disparities among sexual minorities. Despite identifying the elevated risk for excessive alcohol use among SMY and young adults, researchers have yet to build a comprehensive picture of how modifiable interpersonal (relationships with peers and parents) and contextual (school climate) factors influence their alcohol use. Consequently, there are large gaps in the available research regarding how indicators of risk and protective factors differ between heterosexual and SMY and among subpopulations of SMY (differentiated by gender, sexual minority status, and race/ethnicity). As such, there are no empirically validated prevention or intervention programs addressing SMY and young adult alcohol use. This National Research Service Award (F32) will provide the applicant with the training and resources necessary to address SMY health disparities, setting the stage for continued work in this area as an emerging scholar. To accomplish career and research goals, the applicant requires training in (1) investigating health disparities among sexual minority populations, (2) etiology and epidemiology of alcohol use within a developmental context, and (3) complex quantitative methodologies testing developmental processes and contextual influences. The training program combines mentored research projects with coursework, workshops, and conferences to enable the applicant to build a strong and influential program of research addressing the modifiable interpersonal and contextual factors that contribute to SMY alcohol use. Three research aims are addressed in the current application: (1) Identify modifiable interpersonal and contextual risk and protective factors that contribute to SMY and young adult alcohol use; (2) test the influence of modifiable interpersonal and contextual risk and protective factors unique to SMY (e.g., SMY-specific family support, victimization, school climate) that contribute to SMY and young adult alcohol use; and (3) construct a developmental theoretical model of sexual minority alcohol use that will act as the foundation for writing a K01 award that tests these theoretical associations and propositions at later stages of the applicants career.