TY - JOUR
T1 - Establishing a new measure of alcohol-related sexual consequences and examining its association to alcohol consequences among at-risk young adults
AU - Fairlie, Anne M.
AU - Jaffe, Anna E.
AU - Davis, Kelly Cue
AU - Litt, Dana M.
AU - Kaysen, Debra
AU - Norris Ph.D, Jeanette
AU - Lewis, Melissa A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Alcohol Research Documentation Inc.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - Objective: Alcohol-related sexual consequences are common among young adults, yet there is no standard measure to comprehensively assess this construct. To fill this gap, the current study evaluated a 41-item measure of alcohol-related sexual consequences in a sample of at-risk young adults. Method: A subsample (n = 318; 54% female; 71% White; mean age = 22.52 years) of young adults from a larger intervention study was identified for analyses based on recent drinking and sexual behavior. Participants were asked whether each of 41 sexual consequences occurred in the past month as a result of drinking alcohol. More than half of the sample reported vaginal sex without a condom, oral sex without a condom, and having sex without discussing condom use. Results: Only 1 of 41 items evidenced sex differences: men were more likely than women to report oral sex with someone they just met. Count regression models were conducted to determine unique associations among alcohol-related (e.g., alcohol use, expectancies) and sex-related variables (e.g., sexual behavior, expectancies) and alcohol-related sexual consequences and general alcohol consequences. Findings supported the alcohol-related sexual consequences measure as related to, but distinct from, general alcohol consequences, as it was more strongly related to sex-specific constructs. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for the Alcohol-Related Sexual Consequences Scale, a novel measure of alcohol-related sexual consequences, which may be useful for generating personalized feedback and assessing the efficacy of interventions targeting risky sexual behavior and drinking. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 82, 493–502, 2021).
AB - Objective: Alcohol-related sexual consequences are common among young adults, yet there is no standard measure to comprehensively assess this construct. To fill this gap, the current study evaluated a 41-item measure of alcohol-related sexual consequences in a sample of at-risk young adults. Method: A subsample (n = 318; 54% female; 71% White; mean age = 22.52 years) of young adults from a larger intervention study was identified for analyses based on recent drinking and sexual behavior. Participants were asked whether each of 41 sexual consequences occurred in the past month as a result of drinking alcohol. More than half of the sample reported vaginal sex without a condom, oral sex without a condom, and having sex without discussing condom use. Results: Only 1 of 41 items evidenced sex differences: men were more likely than women to report oral sex with someone they just met. Count regression models were conducted to determine unique associations among alcohol-related (e.g., alcohol use, expectancies) and sex-related variables (e.g., sexual behavior, expectancies) and alcohol-related sexual consequences and general alcohol consequences. Findings supported the alcohol-related sexual consequences measure as related to, but distinct from, general alcohol consequences, as it was more strongly related to sex-specific constructs. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for the Alcohol-Related Sexual Consequences Scale, a novel measure of alcohol-related sexual consequences, which may be useful for generating personalized feedback and assessing the efficacy of interventions targeting risky sexual behavior and drinking. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 82, 493–502, 2021).
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U2 - 10.15288/jsad.2021.82.493
DO - 10.15288/jsad.2021.82.493
M3 - Article
C2 - 34343081
AN - SCOPUS:85112412073
SN - 1937-1888
VL - 82
SP - 493
EP - 502
JO - Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs
JF - Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs
IS - 4
ER -