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A 1981 national survey of women's drinking interviewed 917 women in the general population, stratified on the basis of screening interviews to include 500 moderate-to-heavy drinkers. The survey found no evidence of any major recent increase in women's drinking, and no evidence of unusually heavy drinking among working Wives. Adverse drinking consequences and episodes of extreme drinking were most common among women aged 21-34; women who were unmarried, discovered of separated or cohabiting; and women with frequent drinkers as spouses, or companions. Alcohol-related behavior problems and symptoms of alcohol dependence were closely related to levels of alcohol consumption. Among women averaging one ounce or more of ethanol per day, 45 per cent had driven while intoxicated in the past year, and 36 per cent reported memory lapses while drinking. Women at this consumption level were also more likely to report experiences with depression (61 per cent). Women with extremely high consumption levels were more likely to have histories of obstetrical and gynecological problems. Some women with alcohol-related problems reported periods of temporary abstention, a pattern not studied heretofore. (Am J Public Health 1984: 74:1231-1238.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first data available on drinking and reproductive dysfunction from a representative national sample of women. In this stratified household sample of 917 women (weighted n = 2552), dysmenorrhea, heavy menstrual flow, and premenstrual discomfort increased with drinking level and were particularly strongly associated with reported consumption of 6 or more drinks a day at least once a week. Women who consumed 6 or more drinks/day at least 5 times a week had elevated rates of gynecologic surgery other than hysterectomy, but hysterectomy was less common among women averaging 2 oz or more of ethanol/day, with age effects controlled. Lifetime rates of obstetric disorders showed significant elevations at upper levels of drinking (6 or more drinks/day at least 3 times a week for miscarriage or stillbirth and prematurity, and 6 or more drinks/day at least 5 times a week for infertility and birth defects). An unexpected finding was the high rates of menstrual disorders, hysterectomy, miscarriage or stillbirth, and prematurity among temporary abstainers (women reporting alcohol consumption in the past 12 months but not the past 30 days) who had previously drunk only infrequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the psychological effects of social drinking on women's fantasy. According to a study, analysis of men's fantasies before, during, and after drinking in a variety of social settings point to power needs as important motivational factors in male drinking. According to the power theory of drinking, the ability of alcohol to make men feel more powerful explains why so many men drink moderate amounts of alcohol in relaxed social settings. The study presented in this article presents three hypotheses about the psychological effects of female social drinking. First, drinking increases feelings of dependency need gratification, second, drinking increases feelings of power, and third drinking increases feelings of womanliness. The study's results supported neither leading theory of drinking the dependency theory not the power theory. The results suggest that a major gratification of drinking for women may be the enhancement of feelings of womanliness or, alternatively, the decreased salience of "masculine" concern with power and assertiveness.

Retrospective data on drinking behavior and related life experiences have been a neglected resource in research on alcohol use in the general population. Data from a 1981 national survey of women's drinking indicate the potential value of retrospective data analysis. The 1981 data provide comparative ages of onset for drinking behavior, drinking consequences, and health problems, and allow comparisons among different cohorts of women. The data also show the variability in women's lifetime drinking in relation to onset of depression and reproductive dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: Research finds women who terminate pregnancies are at risk of subsequent problematic alcohol use, but methodological and conceptual problems are common. This study examines the relationship between receiving versus being denied termination and subsequent alcohol use. Methods: Data are from a prospective, longitudinal study of US women seeking pregnancy terminations. Participants presented just before a facility’s gestational limit and received terminations (Near Limits, n = 452) or just beyond the limit and were denied terminations (Turnaways, n = 231). Results: Groups did not differ in alcohol use before pregnancy recognition. One week after termination- seeking (Turnaways still pregnant, Near Limits not), Turnaways had lower odds of any and binge alcohol use, but did not differ on 1+ problem symptoms. Over 2.5 years, both Near Limits and Turnaways increased any and binge alcohol use, with Turnaways increasing more rapidly. The groups did not converge again on any or binge use. For Near Limits, any alcohol use surpassed the pre-pregnancy recognition level, but binge use did not. Changes in problem symptoms over time were not evident for either group. Conclusion: While women who had a termination were more likely to report any and binge alcohol use than women who had a child, this difference was due to a reduction in consumption among women having the child rather than an increase in consumption among women having a termination. Thus, assertions that having a termination leads women to increase alcohol use to cope with having had a termination are not supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Depression and alcohol-related problems are often comorbid in women, but not all depressed women have comorbid alcohol-related problems. The current study investigated intrapersonal (drinking expectancies), interpersonal (interpersonal pressure to drink), and familial (mother's and father's drinking history) predictors of alcohol-related problems among women with and without a major depressive episode in the past year. Method: Participants were 853 women ages 21–90 from a U.S. national probability sample. Depression diagnosis was determined via interviewer administration of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) depression module. Participants completed self-report measures of alcohol-related problems and intrapersonal, interpersonal, and familial predictors of drinking. Results: Regression analyses indicated that an episode of depression in the past year, more positive drinking expectancies, greater interpersonal pressure to drink, and higher levels of maternal (but not paternal) drinking predicted alcohol-related problems; moreover, the relationships between alcohol-related problems and maternal drinking, paternal drinking, and interpersonal pressure to drink were significantly stronger among women with an episode of major depression in the past year than among women without an episode. Limitations: Study data was cross-sectional and obtained through self-report, thus limiting causal explanations of results. Conclusions: Findings suggest that depression may enhance the impact of interpersonal and familial risk factors on women's alcohol misuse. Implications of findings for transdiagnostic models of psychopathology and for prevention and treatment of alcohol-related problems in women presenting with depressive symptoms are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: This study examined the relationships between childhood and family background variables, including sexual and physical abuse, and subsequent alcohol abuse and psychological distress in adult lesbians. Methodology: Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate relationships between childhood sexual and physical abuse and parenting variables and latent measures of lifetime alcohol abuse and psychological distress in a large community-based sample of lesbians. Results: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) directly predicted lifetime alcohol abuse, and childhood physical abuse (CPA) directly predicted lifetime psychological distress. In addition, CSA indirectly increased the risk of lifetime alcohol abuse through its negative effect on age at first heterosexual intercourse. Childhood physical abuse had only indirect effects on lifetime alcohol abuse through its strong relationship to lifetime psychological distress. Parental drinking problems and parental strictness directly predicted lifetime psychological distress; parental drinking problems indirectly predicted lifetime alcohol abuse through the mediators of age of drinking onset and lifetime psychological distress. White lesbians, younger lesbians, and those with lower levels of education were at greatest risk of psychological distress. Conclusion: While the cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions, study findings—especially those related to CSA—are consistent with previous research on predominantly heterosexual women in the general population. Lesbians who experienced CSA were at heightened risk of lifetime alcohol abuse and those who experienced CPA were at heightened risk of lifetime psychological distress relative to lesbians without abuse histories. Given the dearth of research on childhood abuse and sexual orientation, studies are needed that examine the similarities and differences between lesbians’ and heterosexual women''s experiences of, and responses to, childhood abuse. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mental health inequities among bisexual and lesbian women are well-documented. Compared to heterosexual women, both bisexual and lesbian women are more likely to report lifetime depressive disorders, with bisexual women often faring the worst on mental health outcomes. Risk factors for depression, such as victimization in childhood and adulthood, are also more prevalent among bisexual women. Less is known about the intersection of racial/ethnic and sexual minority identities, and how depression and victimization may differ across these multiple, co-occurring identities. Data were from Wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study, an 18-year, community-based longitudinal study of sexual minority women's health. We constructed a six-category "intersection" variable based on sexual identity and race/ethnicity to examine group differences in lifetime depression and victimization. We tested childhood and adult victimization as moderators of lifetime depression (n = 600). A majority (58.2%) of the total sample met criteria for lifetime depression. When considering the intersection of race/ethnicity and sexual identity, Black bisexual and Black lesbian women had significantly lower odds of depression than White lesbian women, despite their higher reports of victimization. Latina bisexual and lesbian women did not differ from White lesbians on depression. Victimization did not moderate the association between the intersection variable and depression. More research is needed to better understand risk and protective factors for depression among racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority women (SWM). We highlight the need to deliberately oversample SWM of color to accomplish this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study examined the relationships between experiences of childhood and adulthood victimization and current smoking among heterosexual and sexual minority women. The main hypothesis was that victimization experiences would predict current smoking status. Further, we hypothesized that the effect of childhood victimization on self-reported smoker status would be mediated by adult victimization. Methods: Data are from two studies conducted in the United States that used similar methods and questionnaires in order to conduct a comparative analysis of women based on sexual orientation. Data from Wave 1 (2000-2001) of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study and from Wave 5 (2001) of the National Study of Health and Life Experiences of Women (NSHLEW) study were used in these analyses. Results: Twenty-eight percent of the sample reported current smoking. Victimization experiences were common, with 63.4% of participants reporting at least one type of victimization in childhood and 40.2% reporting at least one type in adulthood. Women who identified as heterosexual were less likely to be victimized during childhood than were women who identified as lesbian or bisexual. Adult victimization had a significant effect on current smoker status, and the effect of childhood victimization on smoker status was mediated by adult victimization. When examined by sexual orientation, this indirect relationship remained significant only among bisexual women in the sample. Conclusions: Study findings make a valuable contribution to the literature on victimization and health risk behaviors such as smoking. Given the negative and long-term impact of victimization on women, strategies are needed that reduce the likelihood of victimization and subsequent engagement in health risk behaviors such as smoking. Implications: The study findings make a valuable contribution to the literature on sexual minority women's health on the influence of victimization on health risk behaviors. With the goal of reducing the likelihood of adult victimization and subsequent engagement in health risk behaviors, programs and policies aimed at preventing victimization of women are warranted. Providers and community health agencies should assess and target physically and sexually abused sexual minority youth for mental health intervention with the goal of interrupting the progression from childhood victimization to adult victimization and subsequent engagement in health risk behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual minority identity (bisexual, lesbian) is a known risk factor for depression in women. This study examined a facet of minority stress prevalent among women-sexual identity mobility-as an identity-related contributor to higher levels of depressive symptoms. We used three waves of data from the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study, a longitudinal study of sexual minority women (N = 306). Random effects OLS regression models were constructed to examine the effect of sexual identity changes on depressive symptoms. We found that 25.6 % of the sample reported a sexual identity change between Wave I and Wave II, and 24.9 % reported a sexual identity change between Waves II and III. Women who reported a change in sexual identity also reported more depressive symptoms subsequent to identity change. This effect was moderated by the number of years participants had reported their baseline identity and by whether the participant had initiated a romantic relationship with a male partner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large gaps exist in research on alcohol use and intimate partner aggression (IPA) among sexual minority women (SMW; eg, lesbian, bisexual). Dyadic research with SMW and their partners can illuminate how couple-level factors operate in conjunction with individual-level factors to shape well-being in this understudied and vulnerable population. Given the traditionally gendered lens with which women are primarily viewed as victims and men as perpetrators, understanding the dynamics of IPA in same-sex female couples can also advance research and practice related to IPA more generally., Objective: Guided by a recent extension of the minority stress model that includes relational (couple-level) sexual minority stress and the I-cubed theoretical perspective on IPA, we will collect individual and dyadic data to better characterize the links between hazardous drinking and IPA among SMW and their partners. First, this study aims to examine the associations among minority stress, hazardous drinking, and IPA in SMW and their partners. Minority stressors will be assessed as both individual and couple-level constructs, thus further extending the minority stress model. Second, we aim to examine potential mediators and moderators of the associations among minority stress, hazardous drinking, and IPA. Finally, we aim to test models guided by the I-cubed theoretical perspective that includes instigating (eg, relationship conflict), impelling (eg, negative affect and trait anger), and inhibiting (eg, relationship commitment and emotion regulation) or disinhibiting (eg, hazardous drinking) influences on IPA perpetration., Methods: This United States National Institutes of Health-funded project will draw from a large and diverse cohort of SMW currently enrolled in the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study-a 21-year longitudinal study of risk factors and consequences associated with SMW hazardous drinking. SMW currently enrolled in the CHLEW and their partners will be invited to participate in the CHLEW Couples Study. By analyzing dyadic data using actor-partner interdependence models, we will examine how each partner's minority stress, hazardous drinking, and IPA experiences are associated with both her own and her partner's minority stress, hazardous drinking, and IPA perpetration., Results: Data collection began in February 2021 and will likely continue through 2023. Initial results should be available by mid-2024., Conclusions: The CHLEW Couples Study will fill important gaps in knowledge and provide the basis for future research aimed at clarifying the causal pathways linking hazardous drinking and IPA among SMW. This will support the development of culturally appropriate targeted individual and dyadic prevention and intervention strategies., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/28080., (©Cindy B Veldhuis, Lauren M Porsch, Lauren A Bochicchio, Jacquelyn Campbell, Timothy P Johnson, Allen J LeBlanc, Kenneth E Leonard, Melanie Wall, Sharon C Wilsnack, Mariah Xu, Tonda L Hughes. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 19.10.2021.)

Background: Two decades ago, there was almost no research on alcohol use among sexual minority women (SMW, e.g., lesbian, bisexual). Since then, a growing body of scientific literature documents substantial sexual orientation-related disparities in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Research has identified multiple risk factors associated with high-risk/hazardous drinking among SMW. However, this research has almost exclusively used cross-sectional designs, limiting the ability to draw conclusions about processes through which sexual minority status affects alcohol use. Longitudinal designs, although very rare in research on alcohol use among SMW, are important for testing mediational mechanisms and necessary to understanding how changes in social determinants impact alcohol use., Aim: To describe the processes and lessons learned in conducting a 20-year longitudinal study focused on alcohol use among SMW., Methods: The Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study includes five waves of data collection (2000-present) with an age and racially/ethnically diverse sample of 815 SMW (ages 18-83) originally recruited in the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Illinois, a midwestern state in the United States (U.S.). Measures and focus have evolved over the course of the study., Results: The CHLEW study is the longest-running and most comprehensive study of SMW's drinking in the U.S. or elsewhere. Findings reported in more than 50 published manuscripts have contributed to understanding variations in SMW's risk for hazardous/harmful drinking based on sexual identity, age, race/ethnicity, sex/gender of partner, and many other factors., Conclusions: By describing the process used in conducting this long-term study, its major findings, and the lessons learned, we hope to encourage and support other researchers in conducting longitudinal research focused on SMW's health. Such research is critically important in understanding and ultimately eliminating sexual orientation-related health disparities., Competing Interests: Declaration of interest: None

Aims: Some types of harms experienced because of others' drinking (AHTO) may produce greater negative effects than other harms. However, AHTO survey items were developed to measure type, not severity, of harm. We aimed to compare the perceived severity of a comprehensive list of AHTO items to assess consistency in subjective ratings of severity, facilitate a more nuanced analysis and identify strategies to improve measurement of AHTO in epidemiological surveys., Methods: Thirty-six leaders of national alcohol surveys (conducted between 1997 and 2016) from 23 countries rated the typical severity of negative effects on the victim of each of 48 types of AHTO using a scale from zero (no negative effect) to 10 (very severe negative effect). The survey leaders were also asked to provide open-ended feedback about each harm and the severity-rating task generally., Results: Of 48 harm items, five were classified as extreme severity (mean rating ≥8), 17 as high (≥6 <8), 25 as moderate (≥4 <6), and one as low (≤4). We used two-way random effects models to estimate absolute agreement intraclass correlation coefficients (AA-ICC) and consistency of agreement intraclass correlation coefficients (CA-ICC). Results showed that there was fair to excellent absolute agreement and consistency of agreement among "experts'' ratings of the severity of harms from others' drinking (single measures CA-ICC = 0.414, single measures AA-ICC = 0.325; average CA-ICC = 0.940, average AA-ICC = 0.914). Harms to children, and harms causing physical, financial, practical, or severe emotional impacts were rated most severe., Conclusions: When designing new AHTO surveys and conducting analyses of existing data, researchers should pay close attention to harms with high perceived severity to identify effective ways to prevent severe AHTO and reduce the negative health and social impacts of AHTO. In-depth analyses of specific sub-sets of harms and qualitative interviews with victims of severe AHTO may prove useful., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Just as binge drinking rates differ for men and women, the predictors and consequences of binge drinking vary by gender as well. This article examines these differences and how binge drinking definitions and research samples and methods may influence findings. It also describes the relationship between age and binge drinking among men and women, and how drinking culture and environment affect this relationship. It examines gender-specific trends in binge drinking, predictors of binge drinking for men and women, and binge drinking in the context of smoking. The article reviews current findings on gender differences in the health consequences of binge drinking, including morbidity and mortality, suicidality, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, liver disorders, and brain and neurocognitive implications. It also discusses gender differences in the behavioral and social consequences of binge drinking, including alcohol-impaired driving, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence, and includes implications for treatment and prevention.

Although there are wide differences in alcohol use patterns among countries, men are consistently more likely than women to be drinkers and to drink heavily. Studies of alcohol use among sexual minorities (SMs), however, reflect a more complex picture. Such research has found higher rates of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among SM persons than among heterosexuals and greater differences between SM and heterosexual women than between SM and heterosexual men. A variety of factors may contribute to differences in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems between men and women and between SM and heterosexual people. An improved understanding of these factors is important to guide prevention and treatment efforts. Although there is a dearth of literature on use of alcohol by SMs in many parts of the world, especially lower- and middle-income countries, we attempt to review and integrate the sparse data that are available from these lower-resourced countries. The global perspective presented in this article is the first attempt to go beyond a general review of literature in the Western world to document the gender paradox in alcohol use among heterosexuals and SMs in diverse countries worldwide.

Various harms from others' drinking have been studied individually and at single points in time. We conducted a US population 15-year trend analysis and extend prior research by studying associations of depression with combinations of four harms - family/marriage difficulties, financial troubles, assault, and vandalism - attributed to partners or family members. Data come from four National Alcohol Surveys conducted by telephone in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 (analytic sample = 21,184). Weighted logistic regression models estimated time trends adjusting for victim characteristics (gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, poverty, employment, family history of alcohol problems, and drinking maximum). The 2015 survey asked the source of the harm; we used similar models to examine characteristics, including anxiety and depression, associated with various combinations of family/marriage, financial, and assault harms due to partner's/spouse's/family members' drinking. A significant upward trend (P <0.001) from 2000 to 2015 was seen for financial troubles but not for other harms due to someone else's drinking. In 2015, depression and/or anxiety were strongly associated with exposures to harms and combinations of harms identified as stemming from drinking spouse/partner and/or family members. The results shed new light on 15-year trends and associations of harms with personal characteristics. A replicated finding is how the victim's own heavy drinking pattern is implicated in risks for exposures to harms from someone else's drinking. Documenting risk factors for and mental health impacts is important for interventions to reduce alcohol's harm to others.

Although light-to-moderate drinking among women is associated with reduced risks of some cardiovascular problems, strokes, and weakening of bones, such levels of drinking also are associated with increased risks of breast cancer and liver problems, and heavy drinking increases risks of hypertension and bone fractures and injuries. Women's heavy-drinking patterns and alcohol use disorders are associated with increased likelihood of many psychiatric problems, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and suicidality, as well as increased risks of intimate partner violence and sexual assault, although causality in the associations of drinking with psychiatric disorders and with violence remains unclear. It is important for women to be aware of the risks associated with alcohol use, especially because gaps between U.S. men's and women's drinking may have narrowed. However, analyses of health risks and benefits need mprovement to avoid giving women oversimplified advice about drinking.

Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS) is a collaborative study of gender-related and cultural influences on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems of women and men. Members conduct comparative analyses of data from comparable general population surveys in 38 countries on five continents. This paper presents GENACIS findings that (1) age-related declines in drinking are uncommon outside North America and Europe; (2) groups of women at increased risk for hazardous drinking include women who cohabit, women with fewer social roles, more highly educated women in lower-income countries, and sexual minority women in North America; (3) heavier alcohol use shows strong and cross-culturally consistent associations with increased likelihood and severity of intimate partner violence; and (4) one effect or accompaniment of rapid social, economic, and gender-role change in traditional societies may be increased drinking among formerly abstinent women. These findings have potentially important implications for women-focused intervention and policy. Substance abuse services should include attention to middle-aged and older women, who may have different risk factors, symptoms, and treatment issues than their younger counterparts. Creative, targeted prevention is needed for high-risk groups of women. Programs to reduce violence between intimate partners must include attention to the pervasive role of alcohol use in intimate partner aggression. Social and economic empowerment of women, together with social marketing of norms of abstention or low-risk drinking, may help prevent increased hazardous alcohol use among women in countries undergoing rapid social change. Greater attention to effects of gender, culture, and their interactions can inform the design of more effective prevention, intervention, and policy to reduce the substantial global costs of alcohol abuse in both women and men.