Social network characteristics and binge drinking among women who use drugs

Introduction: Binge drinking, having 6 or more drinks on one occasion is often viewed as a practice among youth and college students only. However, binge drinking is a prevalent behavior among adults, including drug users. Since the cumulative effect of both drug use and binge drinking has many negative consequences on one's health, research is needed to identify factors associated with binge drinking. Binge drinking often occurs in the presence of others. Thus, examining one's social environment and social networks is important to understanding this risk behavior. Methods: We examined the relationship between social network characteristics and binge drinking in a sample of women who use drugs in Baltimore, MD. Data were gathered at baseline and 6- month follow- up from 2005-2008. All data was captured through self-report in the form of surveys and interviews. Results: Preliminary and baseline analyses show that binge drinking is associated with both structure (i.e. number of drug users in the network) and function (e.g. number of individuals who offer social support) of one's social network. Analyses of follow-up data will be conducted to identify which social network characteristics predict binge drinking. Conclusion: These data will offer insight on how social-network based interventions may decrease risky behaviors.