Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women
Background: Sexual minority women (SMW) are at greater risk for heavy episodic drinking, frequent marijuana use, and tobacco use than heterosexual women. Because past research has suggested the political and social environment may influence disparities in substance use by sexual orientation, this st...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724622000361 |
| _version_ | 1811306386095603712 |
|---|---|
| author | Laurie A. Drabble Cat Munroe Amy A. Mericle Sarah Zollweg Karen F. Trocki Katherine J. Karriker-Jaffe |
| author_facet | Laurie A. Drabble Cat Munroe Amy A. Mericle Sarah Zollweg Karen F. Trocki Katherine J. Karriker-Jaffe |
| author_sort | Laurie A. Drabble |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Sexual minority women (SMW) are at greater risk for heavy episodic drinking, frequent marijuana use, and tobacco use than heterosexual women. Because past research has suggested the political and social environment may influence disparities in substance use by sexual orientation, this study examined associations of the U.S. state-level policy environment on substance use by SMW. Methods: A total of 732 SMW participants were recruited from two national online panels: a general population panel (n = 333) and a sexual minority-specific panel (n = 399). Past year substance use was defined by number of days of heavy episodic drinking (HED; 4+ drinks in a day), weekly tobacco use (once a week or more vs. less or none), and weekly marijuana use (once a week or more vs. less or none). Comprehensive state policy protection was defined by enactment of five policies protecting rights of sexual minorities. Regression models compared substance use outcomes for SMW living in states with comprehensive policy protections to SMW living in states with fewer or no protections. Models also assessed the impact of state policies related to alcohol (state monopoly on alcohol wholesale or retail sales), tobacco (state enactment of comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws) and marijuana (legalization of purchase, possession, or consumption of marijuana for recreational use). Results: Comprehensive policy protections were associated with fewer HED days. Recreational marijuana legalization was associated with higher odds of weekly use. Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of policy protections for sexual minorities in reducing substance use, particularly HED, among SMW. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:43:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-88d0b1c7b9254cf4811561f8759fd6a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2772-7246 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:43:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-88d0b1c7b9254cf4811561f8759fd6a02022-12-22T02:53:48ZengElsevierDrug and Alcohol Dependence Reports2772-72462022-06-013100058Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority womenLaurie A. Drabble0Cat Munroe1Amy A. Mericle2Sarah Zollweg3Karen F. Trocki4Katherine J. Karriker-Jaffe5San Jose State University College of Health and Human Sciences, San Jose, CA, USA; Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA; Corresponding author.Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, CA, USAAlcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, CA, USAColumbia University School of NursingAlcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, CA, USACommunity Health & Implementation Research Program, RTI International, Berkeley, CA, USABackground: Sexual minority women (SMW) are at greater risk for heavy episodic drinking, frequent marijuana use, and tobacco use than heterosexual women. Because past research has suggested the political and social environment may influence disparities in substance use by sexual orientation, this study examined associations of the U.S. state-level policy environment on substance use by SMW. Methods: A total of 732 SMW participants were recruited from two national online panels: a general population panel (n = 333) and a sexual minority-specific panel (n = 399). Past year substance use was defined by number of days of heavy episodic drinking (HED; 4+ drinks in a day), weekly tobacco use (once a week or more vs. less or none), and weekly marijuana use (once a week or more vs. less or none). Comprehensive state policy protection was defined by enactment of five policies protecting rights of sexual minorities. Regression models compared substance use outcomes for SMW living in states with comprehensive policy protections to SMW living in states with fewer or no protections. Models also assessed the impact of state policies related to alcohol (state monopoly on alcohol wholesale or retail sales), tobacco (state enactment of comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws) and marijuana (legalization of purchase, possession, or consumption of marijuana for recreational use). Results: Comprehensive policy protections were associated with fewer HED days. Recreational marijuana legalization was associated with higher odds of weekly use. Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of policy protections for sexual minorities in reducing substance use, particularly HED, among SMW.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724622000361AlcoholMarijuanaTobaccoSexual minority womenLGBTQState policy |
| spellingShingle | Laurie A. Drabble Cat Munroe Amy A. Mericle Sarah Zollweg Karen F. Trocki Katherine J. Karriker-Jaffe Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports Alcohol Marijuana Tobacco Sexual minority women LGBTQ State policy |
| title | Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women |
| title_full | Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women |
| title_fullStr | Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women |
| title_short | Impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women |
| title_sort | impact of the policy environment on substance use among sexual minority women |
| topic | Alcohol Marijuana Tobacco Sexual minority women LGBTQ State policy |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724622000361 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurieadrabble impactofthepolicyenvironmentonsubstanceuseamongsexualminoritywomen AT catmunroe impactofthepolicyenvironmentonsubstanceuseamongsexualminoritywomen AT amyamericle impactofthepolicyenvironmentonsubstanceuseamongsexualminoritywomen AT sarahzollweg impactofthepolicyenvironmentonsubstanceuseamongsexualminoritywomen AT karenftrocki impactofthepolicyenvironmentonsubstanceuseamongsexualminoritywomen AT katherinejkarrikerjaffe impactofthepolicyenvironmentonsubstanceuseamongsexualminoritywomen |