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from Medical Issues
Journal Surveys Age, Race, And Ethnicity
Of Lesbians And Alcohol Abuse
July 13, 2006 -
The July 2006 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol published a study of age differences, race, and ethnicity of a population of lesbians who abuse or use alcohol.
"Age and racial/ethnic differences in drinking and drinking-related problems in a community sample of lesbians," by Tonda L. Hughes used data from the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women Study.
The researcher interviewed 447 women between 18-33 who self-identified as lesbians.
The survey found "no significant differences between Hispanic and white lesbians on any of the lifetime or 12-month problem-drinking indicators and only a few significant differences between white and black lesbians." The researcher found that compared to heterosexual women, "rates of drinking and drinking problems among lesbians decrease less with age and that fewer older lesbians are abstainers."
Hughes pointed to research in 1982 that found that older lesbians were three times as likely to report drinking problems as women in the general population. She theorized, "Because lesbians generally have fewer of the roles and responsibilities that limit drinking among heterosexual women (e.g., those that accompany marriage and parenting), they may be more likely than heterosexual women to continue patterns of drinking developed when they were younger."
The survey found that nearly half (42%) of the lifetime drinkers had at some point wondered if they might be developing a drinking problem; 17.7% had received help for a drinking problem; 7.9% described themselves as being in recovery.
More women age 40 and younger, reported potential alcohol dependence (65.4%) than older lesbians.
The author suggests that further research should be conducted on same-gender twins or other siblings in which one is a heterosexual and one a homosexual and studies on self-esteem "would be particularly helpful in teasing out the influence of individual and environmental risk factors for problem drinking."
Additional Reading: Medical Issues.
Updated: 28 February 2008
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