Concurrent Daily Alcohol and Tobacco Use among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Women

Impact of fly-in fly-out work on health behaviours and affective states: A daily diary study

Our knowledge about the role of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work-related factors on the well-being of workers across the FIFO work cycle is limited. This study examined the within-person effects of job demand and control on psychological states and health behaviours. The study employed a daily diary design, with 23 FIFO workers in the Australian mining industry completing a daily diary survey for 28 consecutive days across on-shift and off-shift periods. Multilevel analyses showed FIFO workers experienced higher positive affect and enjoyed better sleep quality, but consumed more alcohol, during off-shift days as compared to on-shift days. Within-person variability in daily demand (workload) was associated with higher anxious affect, whereas job control predicted lower anxious and depressed affects, higher positive affect, more alcohol consumption, and more physical activity. The within-person effect of demand on anxious affect was moderated by job control such that those who generally had more control over their jobs had a smaller effect of demand on anxiety than those with less control. Results suggest potentially modifiable aspects of FIFO work-particularly job control-may help alleviate the impact of workload on poorer health behaviours and mood.

Sexual orientation and psychotic-like experiences among Chinese college students: the role of gender

Objective

The mental health of sexual minorities has received increasing attention, but there are few studies on the risk of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) among sexual minorities. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between different sexual orientations and PLEs among college students and the moderating effect of gender.

Methods

A total of 4,460 college students from seven provinces participated in this cross-sectional survey. The χ2 test and logistic regression were used to investigate the relationship between sexual orientation and PLEs.

Results

Of the participants, 4.9% identified as bisexual, 1.1% as lesbian/gay, and 5.6% were questioning/unsure; 60.1% of the sample experienced at least one PLE item, 59.2% reported delusional experiences (DEs), and 20.6% had hallucinatory experiences (HEs). Compared with heterosexual college students, bisexual and questioning students showed a higher risk of PLEs, DEs, and HEs, and lesbian/gay students showed a higher risk of HEs. Stratified analysis indicated that sexual orientation was significantly associated with PLEs only for female college students.

Conclusion

Sexual orientation is a predictive factor of PLEs. In particular, different sexual minority subgroups show the different effects on PLEs between male and female college students. Mental health interventions for PLEs could employ distinct strategies based on different sexual orientations and gender disparity.

Sexual Orientation Disparities in Depression and Substance Use Among Adults: Results from the Brazilian National Health Survey 2019

Purpose: We compared the prevalence of depression, hazardous alcohol use, daily tobacco use and hazardous alcohol and tobacco use (HATU) by sexual orientation and sex among Brazilian adults. Methods: Data were obtained from a national health survey conducted in 2019. This study included participants aged 18 years and older (N = 85,859). Adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) and confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models stratified by sex to examine the association between sexual orientation, depression, daily tobacco use, hazardous alcohol use, and HATU. Results: After controlling for the covariates, gay men showed a higher prevalence of depression, daily tobacco use, and HATU compared with heterosexual men (APR ranged from 1.71 to 1.92). Furthermore, bisexual men showed a higher prevalence (almost three times) of depression compared with heterosexual men. Lesbian women showed a higher prevalence of binge and heavy drinking, daily tobacco use, and HATU compared with heterosexual women (APR ranged from 2.55 to 4.44). Among bisexual women, the results were significant for all analyzed outcomes (APR ranged from 1.83 to 3.26). Conclusions: This study was the first to use a nationally representative survey to assess sexual orientation disparities related to depression and substance use by sex in Brazil. Our findings highlight the need for specific public policies aimed at the sexual minority population and for greater recognition and better management of these disorders by health professionals.

Single-use, co-use, and polysubstance use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis in sexual minority and heterosexual females

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use are more prevalent in sexual minority females than heterosexual females, and their use is associated with adverse consequences. Identifying disparities in substance use patterns by sexual identity may inform interventions targeting this vulnerable group. This study examined differences between heterosexual and sexual minority females on patterns of past 30-day tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use.

METHODS

N = 3020 females (18.8% sexual minority) completed an online survey (September 2020-October 2021) that queried about past 30-day tobacco/nicotine (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, large cigar/LCCs, and other products), alcohol, and cannabis use. Participants were classified into one of eight patterns: no use, tobacco/nicotine-only, alcohol-only, cannabis-only, alcohol and tobacco/nicotine, tobacco/nicotine and cannabis, alcohol and cannabis, and polysubstance use. A multinomial logistic regression model examined the association between sexual identity and each substance use group, controlling for demographics.

RESULTS

Across both groups, no substance use was the most common pattern. Polysubstance use was the most common substance use pattern among sexual minority females. In adjusted regression models, sexual minority females were more likely to report cannabis-only (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.58), tobacco/nicotine and cannabis co-use (AOR = 1.74), alcohol and cannabis co-use (AOR = 2.50), and polysubstance use (AOR = 2.60), compared to heterosexual females. [Correction added on 23 November 2022, after first online publication: In the preceding paragraph, the AOR and CI values were corrected.] DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Substance use patterns that involve cannabis are more common among sexual minority females.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

This study extends prior research by using a large sample of females to examine differences based on sexual identity in patterns of tobacco/nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis use beyond single substance use and considers co-use and polysubstance use.

Alcohol and tobacco consumption among Australian sexual minority women: Patterns of use and service engagement

BACKGROUND

Sexual minority women consume both alcohol and tobacco at higher rates than heterosexual women. However, various sociodemographic and cultural factors associated with these practices among sexual minority women in Australia are not well understood, nor are the factors associated with seeking alcohol-related support.

METHODS

This study utilised data from cisgender sexual minority women respondents of Private Lives 3: a national, online, cross-sectional survey of the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ adults in Australia aged 18+ conducted in 2019. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify co-existing smoking and alcohol use, sociodemographic factors associated with smoking, alcohol consumption and seeking alcohol-related support.

RESULTS

Of 2,647 sexual minority women respondents, 16.90% were currently smoking tobacco, 7.67% smoking tobacco daily and 60.50% reported potentially risky patterns of alcohol consumption. Tobacco and potentially risky alcohol consumption were found to frequently co-occur. Women who identified as queer were more likely than lesbian identifying women to currently smoke tobacco and to smoke tobacco daily. Tobacco consumption was associated with increased age, unemployment, low-mid range income and secondary-school education, while potential risky drinking was associated with living in outer urban or rural areas and being Australian born . Self-reporting having struggled with alcohol in the past twelve months was associated with residential location. Less than 3% of the sample has sought help for alcohol use. Seeking support was more likely as women aged, and with potentially risky drinking, and much more likely with self-perceived struggles with alcohol.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the need for future alcohol and tobacco use health promotion strategies focussing on sexual minority women to attend to within group differences that relate to risk of higher consumption. They also highlight the need for approaches that empower sexual minority women to self-identify when they are struggling with alcohol use and encourage seeking support with organisations that are affirming of sexual minority women.

Same-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis among sexual minority and heterosexual young adult smokers

OBJECTIVE

Sexual minority (SM) young adults have higher rates of substance use than heterosexuals, but little is known about daily use of multiple substances, which confer numerous health risks for this population. Using daily diary data from a smartphone-based study, we examined the associations between sexual identity (i.e., SM vs. heterosexual) and patterns of same-day multiple substance use (i.e., cigarettes and alcohol, cigarettes and cannabis, alcohol and cannabis, and all 3 substances).

METHOD

Young adult smokers (N = 147, aged 18-26, 51.7% female, 41.5% SM, 40.8% White) reported consecutive daily assessments on substance use over 30 days. We used generalized estimating equations to examine associations between sexual identity and patterns of same-day multiple substance use, controlling for demographic factors and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Of 2,891 daily assessments, 16.7% reported same-day use of cigarettes and alcohol, 18.1% cigarettes and cannabis, 1.5% alcohol and cannabis, and 15.0% use of all 3 substances. SM participants (vs. heterosexuals) had significantly greater odds of reporting days with use of cigarettes and cannabis [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.05, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.04, 4.01]] and use of all three substances (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI [1.51, 5.14]) than days with single substance use or no use.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings warrant tailored interventions addressing multiple substance use among SM young adults and temporally accurate measures of multiple substance use patterns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Daily relationships between posttraumatic stress symptoms, drinking motives, and alcohol consumption in trauma-exposed sexual minority women

Objective: Sexual minority women (SMW) evidence elevated rates of trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress (PTS), and alcohol consumption. Self-medication models of drinking suggest that individuals may drink to cope with symptoms of PTS, but this possibility remains untested among SMW. Method: The current study used data from drinking days collected via daily diary assessments from 81 trauma-exposed SMW. Participants were mostly White (72.8%) and ranged in age from 18 to 25 (M = 23.8). Participants were followed over 2 14-consecutive-day measurement bursts (720 person-days reported). Analyses were conducted to examine whether coping drinking motives (vs. social, enhancement, and conformity drinking motives), as assessed by an adapted Drinking Motives Questionnaire, mediated the daily level relationship between PTS symptoms (assessed by the PTSD Checklist) and the number of standard drinks per drinking day. Results: Results from multilevel structural equation models indicated that day-to-day fluctuations in PTS symptoms, as well as average levels of PTS symptoms, were associated with increased coping drinking motives. Coping drinking motives, but not other drinking motives, mediated within-person associations between PTS and drinking, such that daily fluctuations in PTS symptoms were associated with stronger-than-normal coping drinking motives, which in turn predicted more drinks per drinking day. Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of coping drinking motives and suggest that alternative coping strategies may help trauma-exposed SMW to manage heightened PTS symptoms without increasing their alcohol consumption. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Determining correlates of the average number of cigarette smoking among college students using count regression models

College students, as a large part of young adults, are a vulnerable group to several risky behaviors including smoking and drug abuse. This study aimed to utilize and to compare count regression models to identify correlates of cigarette smoking among college students. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The Poisson, negative binomial, generalized Poisson, exponentiated-exponential geometric regression models and their zero-inflated counterparts were fitted and compared using the Vuong test (α = 0.05). A number of 1258 students participated in this study. The majority of students were female (60.8%) and their average age was 23 years. Most of the students were non-smokers (84.6%). Negative binomial regression was selected as the most appropriate model for analyzing the data (comparable fit and simpler interpretation). The significant correlates of the number of cigarettes smoked per day included gender (male: incident-rate-ratio (IRR = 9.21), birth order (Forth: IRR = 1.99), experiencing a break-up (IRR = 2.11), extramarital sex (heterosexual (IRR = 2.59), homosexual (IRR = 3.13) vs. none), and drug abuse (IRR = 5.99). Our findings revealed that several high-risk behaviors were associated with the intensity of smoking, suggesting that these behaviors should be considered in smoking cessation intervention programs for college students.