Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.
Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre, School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
LGBT Health. 2020 Feb/Mar;7(2):82-89. doi: 10.1089/lgbt.2019.0205. Epub 2020 Jan 27.
Using representative school-based data and community-level primary data, we investigated how environmental factors (e.g., school and community climate) might be protective against substance use behaviors among a vulnerable population of adolescents. We analyzed a sample of 2678 sexual minority adolescents using a combination of student-level data (British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey) and primary community-level data (assessing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ]-specific community and school environments). Using multilevel logistic regression models, we examined associations between lifetime substance use (alcohol, illegal drugs, marijuana, nonmedical use of prescription drugs, and smoking) and community-level predictors (community and school LGBTQ supportiveness). Above and beyond student characteristics (e.g., age and years living in Canada), sexual minority adolescents residing in communities with more LGBTQ supports (i.e., more supportive climates) had lower odds of lifetime illegal drug use (for boys and girls), marijuana use (for girls), and smoking (for girls). Specifically, in communities with more frequent LGBTQ events (such as Pride events), the odds of substance use among sexual minority adolescents living in those communities was lower compared with their counterparts living in communities with fewer LGBTQ supports. The availability of LGBTQ community-level organizations, events, and programs may serve as protective factors for substance use among sexual minority adolescents. In particular, LGBTQ-supportive community factors were negatively associated with substance use, which has important implications for our investment in community programs, laws, and organizations that advance the visibility and rights of LGBTQ people.
利用具有代表性的基于学校的资料和社区一级的原始资料，我们调查了环境因素（例如，学校和社区风气）如何可能对易受伤害的青少年群体的物质使用行为起到保护作用。我们使用学生一级资料（不列颠哥伦比亚青少年健康调查）和社区一级的原始资料（评估女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、变性人和酷儿[LGBTQ]的具体社区和学校环境），对 2678 名性少数群体青少年进行了样本分析。利用多层次逻辑回归模型，我们调查了终生物质使用（酒精、非法药物、大麻、非医疗目的使用处方药物和吸烟）与社区一级预测因素（社区和学校对 LGBTQ 的支持）之间的关联。除了学生特征（例如年龄和在加拿大的居住年限）之外，居住在对 LGBTQ 更具支持性的社区（即风气更友善）的性少数群体青少年，终生使用非法药物（男孩和女孩）、大麻（女孩）和吸烟（女孩）的可能性较小。具体而言，在 LGBTQ 活动（例如骄傲活动）更频繁的社区中，与居住在对 LGBTQ 支持较少的社区的性少数群体青少年相比，生活在这些社区中的性少数群体青少年的物质使用可能性较低。LGBTQ 社区一级组织、活动和方案的存在可能成为性少数群体青少年物质使用的保护因素。特别是，支持 LGBTQ 的社区因素与物质使用呈负相关，这对我们在社区方案、法律和组织方面的投资具有重要意义，这些方案、法律和组织推动了 LGBTQ 人群的可见度和权利。
