 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Janice A. Vendetti, MPH and Bonnie G McRee, MPH. Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-6325, 8606795423, vendetti@up.uchc.edu
Opportunistic screening for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use in medical settings has important public health implications (e.g., identifying/treating large numbers of individuals who would not normally be identified). It also allows for the collection of data on subgroups (e.g., sexual minority women) that may not be accurately represented in the literature. Historically, samples of convenience were used for obtaining ATOD use data, especially for lesbian and bisexual women. These studies were biased in that research volunteers were mainly recruited in gay/lesbian bars or through other gay affiliations. Further, convenience-sample volunteers may be inherently different from the larger population of sexual minority women because many studies report results for white participants with high socio-economic status. Discrepancies in reported ATOD use among these subgroups are likely due to the lack of representative sampling coupled with small sample sizes (e.g., data for lesbian and bisexual women are often combined).
Data for this study are being obtained through a health survey of patients seeking care in a general dentistry clinic treating primarily Medicaid-eligible individuals. The survey, administered in the clinic waiting area, identifies smokers and at-risk drinkers, via the AUDIT and FTND. Preliminary analyses (n=600) indicate bisexual women drink more days per week and are more likely to engage in heavy drinking than do heterosexual women or lesbians. Lesbians score significantly higher on the AUDIT than do heterosexual women. No differences in tobacco use have been found between the groups. Further results (e.g., minority differences) and public health implications will be presented.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Lesbian, Alcohol Use
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.