title: Risk factors for alcohol use, frequent use, and binge drinking among young men who have sex with men.
abstract: We examined the prevalence and patterns of alcohol use within a large, ethnically diverse sample of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and identified psychosocial correlates of these alcohol-use patterns. A sample of 526 YMSM (ages 18-24 years) was recruited in Los Angeles, CA using a venue-based, stratified probability sampling design. Based on criteria used by previous research with young adults, participants were assigned to one of four alcohol-use/non-use groups according to frequency and number of drinks per sitting in the last 30 days. Findings revealed a high prevalence of alcohol use (91%) within the sample, with 21% reporting binge drinking; of binge drinkers, 40% reported frequent binge drinking. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that race/ethnicity, gay bar attendance, depression, sensation seeking, peer risk behaviors, and age of alcohol initiation significantly differentiated between non-/light users from frequent and binge drinkers. Results also indicated unique psychosocial profiles among frequent/binge drinkers. The heterogeneity of predictors associated with different patterns of alcohol use highlights the need to consider unique risk profiles and alcohol-use trajectories according to exposure to different risk and protective factors.
authors.affiliation: The Saban Research Institute, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA. cawong@chla.usc.edu
authors.forename: Carolyn F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Michele D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kipke
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003201:Computers; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D006306:Health Surveys; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol