Sexual Fluidity and Longitudinal Changes in Alcohol Misuse and Associated Health Consequences
Project Number5R01AA030243-03
Contact PI/Project LeaderEVANS-POLCE, REBECCA J.
Awardee OrganizationUNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
Description
Abstract Text
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
In response to the Notices of Special Interest on Research on the Health of Sexual and Gender Minority
Populations (NOT-MD-19-001) and Public Policy Effects on Alcohol-, Cannabis-, Tobacco-, and Other Drug-
Related Behaviors and Outcomes (NOT-AA-21-028), this project will identify trajectories of alcohol misuse by
sexual orientation and their associated health consequences. We will also examine risk and protective factors
across individual, social, and policy domains. Sexualminorities are at heightened risk of alcohol misuse;
however, existing research is often based on a static and unidimensional construct of sexual orientation rather
than a fluid and multidimensional construct of sexual orientation, despite evidence indicating sexual orientation
fluidity is common, especially among sexualminorities. Prior work has shown alcohol misuse and alcohol use
disorder (AUD) symptoms are more prevalent and more severe among sexualminorities than heterosexuals.
There is a lack of population-based longitudinal studies of alcohol misuse trajectories and related negative
health consequences based on a fluid and multidimensional construct of sexual orientation. Additionally,
studies examining risk and protective factors for alcohol misuse among sexualminorities have largely focused
on individual-level factors and neglected factors at the social and policy level. There is a need to expand this
research and draw on concepts from the Social Ecological Model to include upstream risk and protective
factors, such as those at the social and policy level. To address these gaps, this project will use longitudinal
data from a sample of U.S. adolescents and adults based on six waves of the Population Assessment of
Tobacco and Health study (n=45,971; 2013-2021). This study design will allow us to explore changes in
alcohol misuse based on sexual orientation before and after COVID-19 onset. Our study aims to: (1) Identify
alcohol misuse trajectories over an 8-year period and determine if these associations differ by sexual
orientation (a) concordance vs. discordance, and (b) stability vs. fluidity. We will also examine potential
heterogeneity in risk by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and gender identity and compare changes in alcohol misuse
before and after COVID-19 onset by sexual orientation. (2) Examine (a) how variation in alcohol misuse
trajectories shape negative health-related consequences (e.g., AUD symptoms, other substance use disorder
symptoms, polysubstance use, and negative physical health consequences) and (b) whether this differs across
sexual orientation subgroups, by sexual orientation discordance vs. concordance, and sexual identity fluidity
vs. stability. (3) Examine longitudinal relationships of individual- (e.g., internalizing symptoms), social- (e.g.,
degree of social interaction), and policy-level (e.g., antidiscrimination laws) protective/risk factors with
trajectories of alcohol misuse and negative alcohol-related health consequences and determine if associations
differ by sexual orientation concordance vs. discordance and sexual identity fluidity vs. stability.
Public Health Relevance Statement
PROJECT NARRATIVE
Sexualminorities are at heightened risk of alcohol misuse; however, existing research is largely based on a
static and unidimensional construct of sexual orientation rather than a fluid and multidimensional construct of
sexual orientation. This longitudinal population-based study will examine the fluidity and multidimensionality of
sexual orientation, improve longitudinal estimates of alcohol misuse and its negative health consequences, and
identify modifiable risk and protective factors in multiple domains (individual-, social- and policy-level). This
study will provide new information to improve assessment, prevention, screening, and intervention efforts
targeted towards reducing alcohol-related consequences among sexualminorities.
NIH Spending Category
No NIH Spending Category available.
Project Terms
AddressAdolescentAdultAgeAlcoholsBehaviorCOVID-19CannabisComplementCriminal JusticeDataDimensionsDiscriminationDistalEngineeringGender IdentityGoalsHealthHealthcareHeterogeneityHeterosexualsIndividualInterventionLawsLesbian Gay BisexualLiquid substanceLongitudinal StudiesMeasuresMedicineModelingMovementOutcomePatient Self-ReportPharmaceutical PreparationsPoliciesPopulation Assessment of Tobacco and HealthPopulation StudyPreventionProductivityPublic PolicyReportingResearchResearch DesignRiskRisk FactorsSamplingSeveritiesSex OrientationSexual and GenderMinoritiesShapesSocial ConceptsSocial InteractionSubgroupSubstance Use DisorderSymptomsTimeTobaccoUnited States National Academy of SciencesVariantWorkYouthalcohol measurementalcohol misusealcohol related consequencesalcohol riskalcohol use disordercostethnic identityfluiditygender minority groupgender minority health disparityhealth dataimprovedinterestlongitudinal designmodifiable riskneglectphysical conditioningpolysubstance usepopulation basedprotective factorspublic policy on alcoholracial identityresponsescreeningsecondary analysissexual identitysexual minoritysexual minority groupsexual minority healthsexual minority womensocialstressor
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
CFDA Code
273
DUNS Number
073133571
UEI
GNJ7BBP73WE9
Project Start Date
10-September-2022
Project End Date
30-June-2025
Budget Start Date
01-July-2024
Budget End Date
30-June-2025
Project Funding Information for 2024
Total Funding
$280,253
Direct Costs
$194,775
Indirect Costs
$85,478
Year
Funding IC
FY Total Cost by IC
2024
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
$280,253
Year
Funding IC
FY Total Cost by IC
Sub Projects
No Sub Projects information available for 5R01AA030243-03
Publications
Publications are associated with projects, but cannot be identified with any particular year of the project or fiscal year of funding. This is due to the continuous and cumulative nature of knowledge generation across the life of a project and the sometimes long and variable publishing timeline. Similarly, for multi-component projects, publications are associated with the parent core project and not with individual sub-projects.
No Publications available for 5R01AA030243-03
Patents
No Patents information available for 5R01AA030243-03
Outcomes
The Project Outcomes shown here are displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health. NIH has not endorsed the content below.
No Outcomes available for 5R01AA030243-03
Clinical Studies
No Clinical Studies information available for 5R01AA030243-03
News and More
Related News Releases
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History
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Similar Projects
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