Alcohol Intoxication and Gender: A Qualitative Study of Sexual and Gender Minorities (SGM)

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7. Project Summary Building on the on-going parent project (AA022656) which examines intoxication and young adults, this proposed qualitative renewal project will examine the extent to which gendered norms shape risky drinking practices for sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults (18-25). Alcohol has played a central role for SGM by facilitating exploration of sexuality and gender, coping with minority stress, trauma, and stigma and serving as an integral component of bars and clubs for SGM young adults. Given this central role, it is not surprising that problematic alcohol use, including heavy episodic drinking (HED) and intoxication, and alcohol- related problems are significant issues for SGM young adults. However, to date, research on SGM and alcohol use are limited, findings are mixed, and identity categories inconsistent. We will focus on the following research questions: i) How do the patterns, practices, and contexts of intoxication vary among SGM young adults? ii) What are the meanings of intoxication for SGM adults? and iii) In what ways are young adult SGMs’ meanings and patterns of intoxication shaped by their sexual and gender identities and beliefs about masculinity and femininity? In order to compare the findings of this proposed supplemental project with the data from the parent study (AA022656), the research design is informed by the Parent R01 and will utilize similar qualitative methods to explore questions about meaning, context, and social practices related to drinking and intoxication among SGM young adults. Two hundred in-depth interviews will be conducted with a diverse, purposive sample of SGM young adults, using lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer categories to structure recruitment efforts. Respondents who possess a range of drinking experiences will be chosen. In-depth qualitative interviews will include a structured questionnaire to gather socio-demographic and alcohol-use data and an open-ended, semi-structured schedule to provide detailed narrative information, which will include both life history questions and vignette elicitation exercises. Analysis will consist of mixed methods appropriate to the various types of data collected. The qualitative analysis produced by this project will a) inform the development of appropriate ways to measure and compare SGM identity categories in alcohol research, (b) help to clarify ambiguous research on SGM alcohol use and related problems, and (c) identify modifiable variables that are promising points for intervention to reduce alcohol-related problems among specific SGM young adults who are at an increased risk for problematic alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. .