Do lesbians overestimate alcohol use norms? Exploring the potential utility of personalized normative feedback interventions to reduce high-risk drinking in Southern California lesbian communities. Issue 3 (2nd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Boyle, Sarah C.; LaBrie, Joseph W.; Witkovic, Yong D.
• Is Part Of: Journal of gay & lesbian social services. Volume 28:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 179
• Page End: 194
• Publication Date: 2016-07-02
• Subjects: lesbians; alcohol use; social norms; survey research; Social work with gays -- Periodicals; Social work with lesbians -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.8964
• DOI: 10.1080/10538720.2016.1190677
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1053-8720

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study examines the potential utility of social norms-based approaches to reduce heavy alcohol use in lesbian community settings. In a sample of 278 Southern Californian lesbians recruited from social media networks to complete an online survey, the majority of participants overestimated the quantity of alcohol consumed by their lesbian peers and more frequent lesbian bar attendance was associated with elevated perceptions of how much other lesbians drink. Greater than 90% of participants expressed interest in receiving personalized normative feedback, suggesting that culturally tailored personalized normative feedback interventions focused on correcting perceptions of heavy drinking may be successful in mitigating the alcohol-related risks of lesbians in Southern California, and potentially beyond.