Department of Family Science, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; School of Public Health, University of Maryland, University of Maryland Prevention Research Center, College Park, Maryland.
Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
J Adolesc Health. 2021 Jun;68(6):1162-1169. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.10.023. Epub 2021 Jan 19.
Despite well-established substance use disparities between sexual and gender minority adolescents and their heterosexual, cisgender peers, there remain questions about whether there are developmental differences in the onset and progression of these disparities across adolescence. These perspectives are critical for prevention efforts. We therefore estimate age-based patterns of five substance use behaviors across groups of adolescents defined by sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
Data are from the 2013-2015 cycles of the California Healthy Kids Survey (N = 634,454). Substance use was assessed with past 30-day e-cigarette use, combustible cigarette use, alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking, and marijuana use. Two- and three-way interactions were used to assess differences in age-specific prevalence rates of each substance by (1) sex and sexual identity; and (2) gender identity.
Across all substances, SOGI differences in past 30-day use were present by age 12 years. Most disparities persisted to age 18 years and older. SOGI disparities in combustible and e-cigarette use were wider in late adolescence. Analyses by sexual identity show that sexual minority girls reported the highest rates of substance use across age, followed by sexual minority boys.
SOGI differences in substance use emerged in early adolescence and appeared to persist and accelerate by late adolescence. Sexual minority girls had the highest rates of substance use across all ages. The findings underscore the urgent need for screening and prevention strategies to reduce substance use for sexual and gender minority youth.
尽管性少数和跨性别青少年与异性恋、顺性别同龄人之间在物质使用方面存在明显差异，但仍存在一些问题，即这些差异在青春期是否存在发展上的差异。这些观点对于预防工作至关重要。因此，我们根据性取向和性别认同（SOGI）来估计青少年群体中五种物质使用行为的年龄模式。
数据来自 2013-2015 年加利福尼亚健康儿童调查（N=634454）。使用过去 30 天的电子烟使用、可燃香烟使用、酒精使用、重度饮酒和大麻使用来评估物质使用情况。使用二项和三项交互作用来评估每种物质的特定年龄流行率差异，包括（1）性别和性身份；（2）性别认同。
在所有物质中，12 岁时就存在 SOGI 在过去 30 天使用方面的差异。大多数差异持续到 18 岁及以上。在青少年后期，可燃香烟和电子烟的 SOGI 差异更大。通过性身份进行的分析表明，性少数群体女孩在所有年龄的物质使用方面报告的比率最高，其次是性少数群体男孩。
在物质使用方面的 SOGI 差异在青春期早期出现，并在青少年后期似乎持续存在且加速。性少数群体女孩在所有年龄的物质使用方面比率最高。这些发现强调了迫切需要针对性少数和跨性别青年进行筛查和预防策略，以减少物质使用。
