The SIC Scale of Ageism: Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Measurement Invariance, and Revisions.

The present study seeks to confirm the factor structure of the succession, identity, and consumption (SIC) scale of prescriptive ageism as a modern measure of intergenerational ageism, with particular utility for institutionalized ageism and policy in health care, the workplace, and residential facilities. In addition, measurement invariance of the scale is tested for gender and racial/ethnic groups. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the scale as initially proposed, treating the items as categorical variables (see for treatment of Likert-type items as categorical). Modifications to the scale were explored using both theoretical and statistical criteria. Measurement invariance tests were run on both gender and racial/ethnic categories. Analyses indicated that the three-factor structure as initially proposed was validated in an undergraduate population. Minor modifications are proposed to improve the performance of the measure. Using comparative fit indices, measurement invariance was established for gender and racial/ethnic groups with mean level scale score differences discussed.

Sexual Minority Youth at Risk of Early and Persistent Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use.

The current study sought to examine substance use disparities among sexual minority youth. The current subsample of 348,175 students participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) study from years 2005 to 2015 (biennially) in jurisdictions that asked at least one question about sexual minority status. Latent class analysis was used to identify implicit classes of sexual minority youth, based on respondents' sexual identity and sexual behavior. Sex-stratified regression models were run to determine the association between class membership and age of onset and persistent use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Findings showed that sexual minority female subgroups were primarily distinguished by sexual identity (e.g., "lesbian," "bisexual"), whereas sexual minority male subgroups were primarily distinguished by sexual behavior. Female lesbian and bisexual youth were at risk of initiating substance use at younger ages and, among lifetime users, were more likely to persist in their tobacco and marijuana use over time, relative to sexually active female heterosexual youth. Among lifetime users, male youth with partners of both sexes were at greater risk of persistent use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana over time and earlier ages of first use. Recommendations for intervention and prevention programs geared toward reducing sexual minority youth substance use are provided.

Women's Self-Perceived Similarity to Their Mother and Associations with Patterns of Alcohol Misuse over 20 Years.

AIMS: This study examined transgenerational transmission of risk for female alcohol misuse. Women's perceived similarity to their mother/father in adulthood was examined in terms of its influence on the expected association between perceived maternal alcohol use and female offsprings' trajectories of alcohol misuse. We hypothesized that a daughter's self-perceived similarity to her mother, in instances where her mother was perceived to be a frequent- or problem-drinker, would be associated with an increase in the daughter's count of negative consequences from alcohol use and potential symptoms of alcohol dependence across adulthood. SHORT SUMMARY: Women's perceived similarity to their mother/father was examined as a factor influencing associations between perceived parental alcohol use during childhood and patterns of alcohol misuse in adulthood. Women's self-perceived similarity to their frequent- or problem-drinking mothers increased the risk of negative consequences from drinking over time as well as potential symptoms of alcohol dependence over time. METHODS: Analyses utilized data from a survey of women (N = 911) who were followed over a 20-year period, beginning in 1981. Women, ages 21 or older and living in households in the contiguous USA, were eligible, and women who consumed four or more alcoholic drinks per week were oversampled. Model estimates were weighted to adjust for the oversampling of heavier drinking women and to reflect national demographics. Latent growth mixture models estimated regression parameters that captured variation in participants' alcohol misuse over time. RESULTS: Women who reported that their mother was a frequent- or problem-drinker and who perceived themselves to be similar to their mother, in general, showed increases in alcohol misuse. The same pattern of results was not shown for fathers. CONCLUSIONS: Results support that interventions seeking to reduce female alcohol misuse should address the role of perceived similarity to heavy-drinking female role models or 'female-drinker' prototypes to reduce problem-drinking behavior among female drinkers.

Sexual Identity Mobility and Depressive Symptoms: A Longitudinal Analysis of Moderating Factors Among Sexual Minority Women.

Sexual minority identity (bisexual, lesbian) is a known risk factor for depression in women. This study examined a facet of minority stress prevalent among women-sexual identity mobility-as an identity-related contributor to higher levels of depressive symptoms. We used three waves of data from the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study, a longitudinal study of sexual minority women (N = 306). Random effects OLS regression models were constructed to examine the effect of sexual identity changes on depressive symptoms. We found that 25.6 % of the sample reported a sexual identity change between Wave I and Wave II, and 24.9 % reported a sexual identity change between Waves II and III. Women who reported a change in sexual identity also reported more depressive symptoms subsequent to identity change. This effect was moderated by the number of years participants had reported their baseline identity and by whether the participant had initiated a romantic relationship with a male partner.

Young women's alcohol expectancies for sexual risk-taking mediate the link between sexual enhancement motives and condomless sex when drinking.

Alcohol use is prevalent among young women. Alcohol expectancies for sexual risk-taking and sexual enhancement motives have been associated with decreased condom use. This study investigated whether alcohol expectancies for sexual risk-taking mediated the association between sexual enhancement motives and condom use. Young women (N = 287, M age = 20.1) completed a survey assessing alcohol expectancies for sexual risk-taking, sexual enhancement motives, and characteristics of their most recent sexual encounter involving alcohol. Most participants (66.9 %) reported unprotected sex during their last sexual encounter involving alcohol. Higher sexual enhancement motives (OR = 1.35, p = .019) and alcohol expectancies for sexual risk-taking (OR = 1.89, p < .001) were associated with increased likelihood of condomless sex. Alcohol expectancies for sexual risk-taking mediated the association between sexual enhancement motives and condomless vaginal sex. Within the context of sexual encounters involving alcohol, expectancies that drinking may result in sexual risk-taking may account for why sexual enhancement motives relate to decreased condom use.

Exploring alcohol-use behaviors among heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents: intersections with sex, age, and race/ethnicity.

OBJECTIVES: We examined sexual orientation status differences in alcohol use among youths aged 13 to 18 years or older, and whether differences were moderated by sex, age, or race/ethnicity. METHODS: We pooled data from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys and conducted weighted analyses, adjusting for complex design effects. We operationalized sexual orientation status with items assessing sexual orientation identity, sexual behavior, sexual attraction, or combinations of these. RESULTS: Compared with exclusively heterosexual youths, sexual-minority youths were more likely to report each of the primary study outcomes (i.e., lifetime and past-month alcohol use, past-month heavy episodic drinking, earlier onset of drinking, and more frequent past-month drinking). Alcohol-use disparities were larger and more robust for (1) bisexual youths than lesbian or gay youths, (2) girls than boys, and (3) younger than older youths. Few differences in outcomes were moderated by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Bisexual youths, sexual-minority girls, and younger sexual-minority youths showed the largest alcohol-use disparities. Research is needed that focuses on identifying explanatory or mediating mechanisms, psychiatric or mental health comorbidities, and long-term consequences of early onset alcohol use, particularly frequent or heavy use, among sexual-minority youths.

The role of family communication in individual health attitudes and behaviors concerning diet and physical activity.

This study explored associations among family communication patterns (conversation and conformity orientations), health-specific communication variables, health attitudes, and health behaviors in a sample of 433 family dyads (N = 866). As expected, results of multilevel models revealed that individuals' health attitudes were strongly associated with their self-reported health behaviors. Findings also suggested that perceived confirmation from a family member during health-specific conversations (a) directly influenced health attitudes, (b) partially accounted for the positive relationship between family conversation orientation and health attitudes, and (c) partially accounted for the inverse relationship between family conformity orientation and health attitudes. Similarly, frequency of health-specific communication (a) directly influenced health attitudes, (b) partially accounted for the positive relationship between family conversation orientation and health attitudes, and (c) directly associated with health behaviors. Results from an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) supported the aforementioned within-person association between a person's own health attitudes and health behaviors, as well as a positive relationship between young adults' health attitudes and their influential family member's health behaviors. Implications of these findings are discussed as they relate to theory and obesity prevention.

Associations of adult roles and minority stressors with trajectories of alcohol dependence symptoms throughout adulthood among sexual minority women.

OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we sought to identify trajectories of symptoms of potential alcohol dependence (AD) among adult sexual minority women (SMW). Theoretical correlates were examined in relation to the empirically identified trajectories. METHOD: Data were collected at three time points between 2000 and 2012 from SMW drinkers (n = 434) enrolled in a longitudinal study (M Age = 37.49 at baseline, SD = 11.55). Using an accelerated-cohort longitudinal design, latent growth curve mixture models identified homogeneous patterns of any past-year symptoms of potential AD. Correlates of trajectories included alcohol-related developmental risk factors, adult roles, and exposure to minority stressors. RESULTS: Three trajectories were identified that captured risk of symptoms of potential AD over time, reflecting: (a) relatively consistent, low risk over time; (b) deceleration in risk throughout adulthood; (c) relatively persistent, high risk over time. Consistent with prior work, SMW drinkers who reported higher levels of perceived stigma or masculinity showed persistently high risk of reporting at least one past-year symptom of potential AD. CONCLUSIONS: Most SMW drinkers report deceleration in risk of AD symptoms over time. Findings have implications for prevention and intervention efforts tailored to SMW drinkers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Aversive Self-Focus and Alcohol Consumption Behavior in Women with Sexual Identity-Uncertainty: Changes in Salivary Cortisol Stress Response Among Those who Drink-to-Cope.

Background: Individuals who report sexual identity-uncertainty are at-risk for heavy alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder symptomology. The current study examined the impact of states of aversive self-focus on subsequent consumption of ostensibly alcohol-containing beverages among a sample of women in early adulthood with varying levels of sexual identity-uncertainty (N = 75). Methods: Utilizing a 2 (self-focus: negative vs. neutral) × 2 (attribution for any psychological discomfort: external vs. none given) between-subjects design with 3 within-person assessments of salivary cortisol, both a moderation model and mixed-effects general linear model were tested. Results: States of aversive self-focus caused increases in overall consumption among women higher in sexual identity-uncertainty. Findings suggested consumption of ostensibly alcohol-containing beverages was more likely among women higher in sexual identity-uncertainty who also reported consuming beverages to cope with distress. Among women who reported higher levels of sexual identity-uncertainty and drinking-to-cope motives, salivary cortisol concentrations dampened more quickly over time, as they supposedly consumed alcohol. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate that, among women reporting sexual identity-uncertainty who are motivated to consume alcohol to forget about troubles or worries, situations which evoke states of aversive self-focus may contribute to differences in alcohol consumption in early adulthood.

Come Out, Get Out: Relations Among Sexual Minority Identification, Microaggressions, and Retention in Higher Education.

Heterosexism, in the form of microaggressions, contributes to hostile, anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) college campus climates, thereby limiting sexual and gender minority students' social engagement and academic persistence. Using Tinto's model of institutional departure, we examined the degree to which experiencing microaggressions affects sexual minority college students' retention as a function of their feelings of discomfort in the classroom. Mediation analyses were performed on a subsample of data from 152 self-identified LGBTQ college students at a southern university in the United States to examine relations among experiences of self-reported microaggressions, self-rated classroom discomfort, and expressed intentions to transfer from the university. Self-reported discomfort in the classroom accounts for the relation between experiences of microaggressions and LGBTQ students' intentions to transfer from the university. Specifically, LGBTQ students who experienced microaggressions more often reported greater discomfort in their classrooms and reported fewer intentions to continue studying at their university. Universities should strive to implement campus-wide programs that help minimize microaggressions, encourage cultural competency and comfort in the classroom, and combat anti-LGBTQ prejudice to better support students in their day-to-day academic endeavors. LGBTQ students who feel safe and supported in the classroom may be protected from heterosexism and social isolation and, thereby, may be more likely to persevere in their academic pursuits.

Motivational pursuits in the context of human sexual relationships.

The current article examines how close relationships combine with individual differences in sex motives (Cooper, Shapiro, & Powers, 1998) to shape sexual experience. We first provide an overview of the motivational approach as it relates to sexual behavior and then describe 2 broad mechanisms (1 transactional, the other interactional) by which motives and relational context combine to shape behavior. Drawing on our past research, we review evidence showing that people select relationship contexts based partly on their motives and that these contexts in turn shape future motives and behavior; that partner motives shape sexual experience above and beyond one's own motives; and that both the broader relationship context and partner motives moderate the effects of one's own motives on sexual experience. We conclude that the nature of motivational pursuits cannot be adequately understood in the abstract, but rather we must take into account the relational context in which one's needs are pursued.

A relationship-oriented model of HIV-related stigma derived from a review of the HIV-affected couples literature.

Previous research has focused on the influence of HIV-related stigma for the psychological adjustment and physical health of persons with HIV/AIDS. Few studies, however, have examined the impact of HIV-related stigma on close relationships where one or both couple members have HIV/AIDS. The current review will integrate previous research findings to substantiate a relationship-oriented theoretical model of HIV-related stigma that delineates interpersonal variables important for understanding the influence of types of HIV-related stigma on couple-level as well as relevant individual-level outcomes. In doing so, supportive evidence is presented from the extant quantitative and qualitative literature that has assessed or examined HIV-affected couple members' experiences with HIV-related stigma. Implications from this review are presented for researchers who examine issues related to HIV-related stigma.

State-Level Impulsivity, Affect, and Alcohol: A Psychometric Evaluation of the Momentary Impulsivity Scale Across Two Intensive Longitudinal Samples.

We reexamined the psychometric properties of the Momentary Impulsivity Scale (MIS) in two young adult samples using daily diary (N=77) and ecological momentary assessment (N=147). A one-factor between- and within-person structure was supported, though "I felt impatient" loaded poorly within-person. MIS scores consistently related to emotion-driven trait impulsivity; however, MSSDs of MIS scores were unrelated to outcomes after accounting for aggregate MIS scores. We observed positive, within-person correlations with negative, but not positive, affect. Between-person MIS scores correlated with alcohol problems, though within-person MIS-alcohol relations were inconsistent. MIS scores were unrelated to laboratory-based impulsivity tasks. Findings inform the assessment of state-level impulsivity in young adults. Future research should prioritize expanding the MIS to capture the potential multidimensionality of state-level impulsivity.

The impact of sexual self-concept ambiguity on alcohol approach bias and consumption.

The current work sought to examine both intra-individual and situational features that can predict heightened alcohol misuse among individuals who report sexual-orientation self-concept ambiguity (SSA). It was hypothesized that situations that evoke the salience of individuals' sexuality will contribute to alcohol misuse among individuals who report heightened SSA. In the first experiment, fifty-nine students were recruited from psychology subject pools at two large state universities. Following a writing manipulation, used to evoke a state of heightened self-focus on an individual's sexuality, participants completed the Alcohol Approach-Avoidance Task, which served as a marker of implicit bias toward alcohol-related cues. In the second experiment, ninety-four women between the ages of 21 and 35 were recruited into a lab-based study. Utilizing procedures similar to the first experiment, we attempted to test our research questions in an ad lib drinking study. Among young adults with greater SSA, situations that induced heightened self-focus were predictive of increased approach bias toward alcohol-related cues and increased consumption of an ostensibly alcoholic beverage. Evidence supported a causal link between the situational salience of sexuality and acute risk of alcohol-approach bias and consumption behavior among those with heightened SSA. Preventive interventions may highlight variation in risk of alcohol misuse based on identity-related risk factors, such as sexual self-concept ambiguity, and drinking motivations.

Rural and urban breast cancer patients: health locus of control and psychological adjustment.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the moderating influence of rural residence on the associations between health locus of control (HLC) beliefs and psychological well-being. METHOD: Two hundred and twenty-four breast cancer patients were surveyed. RESULTS: The results revealed that rurality interacted with HLC beliefs in predicting psychological adjustment. The pattern indicated that, whereas endorsing external forms of locus of control can be detrimental to the psychological well-being of urban breast cancer patients, the same is not true for rural breast cancer patients. For rural breast cancer patients, powerful others locus of control was beneficial for and chance locus of control was unrelated to well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for future research and medical care are discussed.

Sexual Orientation Self-Concept Ambiguity and Alcohol Use Disorder Symptomology: The Roles of Motivated Psychological Distancing and Drinking to Cope.

OBJECTIVE: Women whose sexual identity is not exclusively heterosexual are at risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and problematic drinking. A textual analytic approach focusing on motivated psychological distancing in language style use was used to detect sexual minority women who are at greatest risk for an AUD. METHOD: Young adult women (N = 254) were asked to complete a self-report measure of sexual orientation self-concept ambiguity as well as free-write about their sexuality. In addition, they completed a questionnaire assessing AUD symptoms according to criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) program assessed language markers within participant-written essays that reflected acute states of aversive self-focus (i.e., fewer first-person pronouns, fewer present-tense verbs). RESULTS: Drinking to cope with negative affectivity mediated the relationship between sexual orientation self-concept ambiguity and AUD symptomology. This indirect effect was conditional, moderated by higher use of language reflecting motivated psychological distancing, such that the indirect effect was significant only for women whose writing included fewer instances of first-person pronouns and present-tense verbs (-1 SD) compared with those with greater instances of first-person pronouns and present-tense verbs (+1 SD), reflecting motivated psychological distancing. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual minority women are at an increased risk for AUD. Further, this study suggests mechanisms that may exacerbate the relationship between sexual identity uncertainty and problematic drinking. The study presents a novel method of identifying individuals most at risk for alcohol misuse: detecting aversive self-focus in language style and word choice.

The influence of motives on alcohol- and sex-related behaviors among female college students.

PURPOSE: Although previous studies have elucidated associations between motivations for drinking and sex as they relate to risky health outcomes among female college students, the utility of cross-domain motives (i.e., alcohol motives predicting sex-related outcomes and vice versa) in the prediction of specific alcohol- and sex-related behaviors has yet to be examined. The current study examined relations between drinking and sex motives with multiple risky alcohol- and sex-related outcomes (i.e., alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, alcohol consumption prior to sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners [vaginal, oral, anal], and emergency contraception use). PROCEDURES: Multiple structural equation models were used to examine univariate and multivariate associations among drinking and sex motives and specific outcomes in a sample of female undergraduates with lifetime histories of alcohol use and sexual activity (N = 436; 77% White, 21% Hispanic). RESULTS: Findings indicated differential associations between motives and specific outcomes across univariate versus multivariate analyses. Multivariate models indicated greater endorsement of enhancement and less endorsement of intimacy sex motives were significantly associated with heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems, whereas alcohol motives were less reliably linked to sex-related outcomes. When considered simultaneously, sex motives accounted for more variance in some alcohol outcomes relative to certain drinking motives. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-domain motives may be useful in predicting risky outcomes among female college students. Research implications include the importance of examining motive-behavior relations in univariate and multivariate contexts. Clinical implications include cross-domain motive assessment and use of emotion regulation strategies to reduce emotionally-motivated maladaptive alcohol- and sex-related behaviors.