Examining the association between sexism, self-objectification, empowerment, and alcohol-related problems: Pathways through drinking to cope.

While research suggests that sexism is associated with college women's hazardous alcohol use, few studies have investigated the psychological factors that underlie the association between sexism and alcohol-related problems. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the direct and indirect effect of gender-relevant sociocultural factors, including sexism, self-objectification, and empowerment, on college women's alcohol-related problems through drinking to cope. 450 women attending a large public university completed a cross-sectional survey that assessed these gender-relevant sociocultural factors and alcohol-related outcomes. Controlling for Greek membership, perceived drinking norms, and alcohol use, sexism and empowerment were both directly associated with alcohol-related problems, while sexism, self-objectification, and empowerment were indirectly associated with alcohol-related problems through the mechanism of drinking to cope. The results of this study highlight the importance of taking into account gender-relevant risk factors for women's alcohol-related problems, as well as the role of psychological processes such as drinking to cope. Pathways for intervention on both individual and systemic levels are discussed.