Abstract
Purpose
Though higher rates of binge drinking have been reported among sexual minority (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) youths compared to their heterosexual peers in the United States, questions remain about which specific structural factors drive these inequities. We test whether state LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) policy climate is associated with youth binge drinking, as well as whether that association is unique to sexual minority youth.
Methods
We use LGBTQ policy scores compiled by the Movement Advancement Project in 2017 and analyze 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (126,432 youths living in 24 states). We fit multi-level logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios for binge drinking with state-level LGBTQ policy scores.
Result
More progressive state-level overall LGBTQ policies were associated with lower odds of binge drinking among sexual minority youths (interaction term OR = 0.990, CI 0.984–0.996, p = 0.0009), but not among heterosexuals (OR = 1.001, CI 0.992, 1.009, p = 0.881). For sexual minorities, living in the most LGBTQ-affirming state was associated with a probability of binge drinking 27% lower than that of those living in the least LGBTQ-affirming state. In sensitivity analyses, policies specific to LGBTQ youth (opposed to general LGBTQ people) were even more strongly related to sexual minorities’ binge drinking (interaction term: state-level youth policy score × individual-level sexual identity—of OR = 0.949, CI 0.927–0.971, p = 0.00001). In sex-stratified models, associations with overall LGBTQ policy scores were significant only for girls (OR = 0.986, CI 0.979–0.993, p < 0.001), not boys (OR = 0.997, CI 0.986–1.008, p = 0.551), while associations with youth-focused LGBTQ policies were significant for both sexual minority girls and boys.
Conclusion
Our findings point to state-level LGBTQ policy climate as a potential social determinant of binge drinking problems among sexual minority youths.