title: Sexual assault, drinking norms, and drinking behavior among a national sample of lesbian and bisexual women.
abstract: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent/adult sexual assault (ASA) are strongly associated with women's alcohol use and the rates of both alcohol use and sexual assault history are higher among lesbian and bisexual women than heterosexual women. Although descriptive drinking norms are one of the highest predictors of alcohol use in emerging adults, this is the first study to examine the relationship between sexual assault history, drinking norms, and alcohol use in lesbian and bisexual women. We found that CSA severity was associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing more severe alcohol-involved ASA, more severe physically forced ASA, and was indirectly associated with more drinking behavior and higher drinking norms. Additionally, more severe alcohol-involved ASA was associated with higher drinking norms and more drinking behavior, but physically forced ASA was not. These findings help explain previous contradictory findings and provide information for interventions.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, United States. Electronic address: amandakg@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Amanda K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.affiliation: University of California at San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry, and San Francisco VA Medical Center, Department of Mental Health, 4150 Clement St., San Francisco, CA 94121, United States.
authors.forename: Kelly H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
authors.forename: Hong V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
authors.forename: Hollie F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Granato
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing (MC 802), Room 1160, Chicago, IL 60612-7350, United States.
authors.forename: Tonda L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1100 NE 45th Street, Office 338, Box 354944, Seattle, WA 98105, United States.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaysen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol use; Drinking norms; Lesbian and bisexual women; Sexual assault