ABSTRACT
Drinking patterns among Swedish gay men and lesbians (n = 1720) are compared to two nationally representative survey groups. Findings point at elevated levels of drinking among lesbians, but not among gay men. Gay men and lesbians do not, as in the general population, reduce their drinking with increasing age and there are very few gay and lesbian abstainers. Experiences of consequences of drinking are more frequent, particularly among lesbians. The study reveals that alcohol plays a more substantial role at the core of the gay and lesbian community, at least, than in many other subgroups of the Swedish society.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Homosexuality, Female/statistics & numerical data , Homosexuality, Male/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Age Factors , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Sweden/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This paper aims at exploring the relations between early risk factors and the development of advanced drinking habits in adolescence. Data were derived from the longitudinal research program Individual Development and Adjustment. Results confirm earlier findings from longitudinal studies in this field. Three important factors have been identified: significant others, general sociability, and personality/conduct. More important, though, is that results indicate that knowledge about one or two background characteristics is not enough to make predictions of adolescent drinking habits. Rather, it is the ensemble of circumstances that together lead to an increased risk for advanced drinking habits in adolescence.
