Introduction
Sexual minority and/or racial/ethnic minority youth may use alcohol at school as a
form of minority stress-based coping. Polyvictimization is particularly prevalent
among sexual minority and/or racial/ethnic minority youth and may be a useful proxy
measure for minority stressors.
Methods
Data from local administrations of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey were pooled across
42 jurisdiction years (biennially, 2009–2017) and analyzed in 2022, resulting in a
sample of 118,052 U.S. youth. The prevalence of alcohol use at school was examined
by sexual identity, race/ethnicity, and their intersections, stratified by sex. Multivariable
logistic regression models were built to examine the disparities in alcohol use at
school and the impact of school-based polyvictimization.
Results
At the intersections of race/ethnicity and sexual identity, 25 of 30 sexual minority
and/or racial/ethnic minority subpopulations had greater odds of alcohol use at school
than their White heterosexual same-sex peers. Hispanic/Latinx not-sure males (AOR=9.15;
95% CI=5.97, 14.03) and Hispanic/Latinx lesbian females (AOR=11.24; 95% CI=6.40, 19.77)
were most likely to report alcohol use at school. After adjusting for polyvictimization,
the magnitude of association was attenuated for most sexual minority and/or racial/ethnic
minority subpopulations; however, all but 2 significant associations remained.
Conclusions
Sexual minority and/or racial/ethnic minority youth were more likely than White heterosexual
peers to use alcohol at school, with the greatest odds among multiply marginalized
and polyvictimized youth. Interventions should consider addressing more than school-based
victimization alone because disparities persisted, although at a lower magnitude,
after accounting for polyvictimization. Future longitudinal studies are warranted
to further explore the associations between multiply marginalized identities, school-based
polyvictimization, and alcohol use at school.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: July 20, 2022
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In Press Journal Pre-ProofIdentification
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© 2022 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
