Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2213 McElderry Street, 2nd Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2011 Nov;72(6):1041-7. doi: 10.15288/jsad.2011.72.1041.
Social networks can either negatively or positively influence a variety of behaviors, including alcohol use. This study examined social network characteristics that are risk factors for and protective factors against heavy episodic drinking among a sample of women at risk for HIV/sexually transmitted infections.
This was a cross-sectional study using baseline data from 567 impoverished women participating in an HIV prevention study in Baltimore, MD. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews at a community-based research clinic. Heavy episodic drinking was defined as six or more drinks per drinking episode on at least a weekly basis. We examined network characteristics, including structure and function and their association with heavy episodic drinking. Multivariate logistic regression was used, adjusting for individual-level factors, such as drug use, demographics, and depression.
Approximately 21% of the sample engaged in heavy episodic drinking at least weekly. Controlling for individual-level factors, women who engaged in heavy episodic drinking had fewer social network members (a) who were in drug treatment, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.65, 95% CI [0.49, 0.88]; (b) who were employed, AOR = 0.89, 95% CI [0.79, 0.99]; and (c) with whom the participant socialized, AOR = 0.74, 95% CI [0.63, 0.96]. Women who engaged in heavy episodic drinking had a significantly higher number of social network members with whom they drank alcohol, AOR = 1.71, 95% CI [1.43, 2.03].
Social network characteristics are both protective and risk factors for heavy episodic drinking among women. Interpersonal interventions, such as peer education, may be a useful strategy to decrease heavy episodic drinking and its subsequent outcomes among women.
社交网络既可以对各种行为产生负面影响，也可以产生积极影响，包括饮酒行为。本研究考察了社交网络特征，这些特征是女性中与艾滋病毒/性传播感染风险相关的危险因素和保护因素。
这是一项横断面研究，使用了马里兰州巴尔的摩市参与艾滋病毒预防研究的 567 名贫困女性的基线数据。数据通过社区研究诊所的面对面访谈收集。重度间歇性饮酒定义为每周至少有一次饮酒六次或以上。我们研究了网络特征，包括结构和功能及其与重度间歇性饮酒的关系。采用多变量逻辑回归，调整了个体水平的因素，如吸毒、人口统计学和抑郁。
约 21%的样本每周至少进行一次重度间歇性饮酒。控制个体水平的因素，进行重度间歇性饮酒的女性社交网络成员（a）接受药物治疗的人数较少，调整后的优势比（AOR）=0.65，95%置信区间[0.49，0.88]；（b）就业人数较少，AOR=0.89，95%置信区间[0.79，0.99]；（c）与参与者交往的人数较少，AOR=0.74，95%置信区间[0.63，0.96]。进行重度间歇性饮酒的女性社交网络成员中，与她们一起饮酒的人数明显较多，AOR=1.71，95%置信区间[1.43，2.03]。
社交网络特征既是女性重度间歇性饮酒的保护因素，也是危险因素。人际干预，如同伴教育，可能是减少女性重度间歇性饮酒及其后续后果的有效策略。
