Familial transmission of alcohol use, III. Impact of imitation non-imitation of parent alcohol use (1960) on the sensible/problem drinking of their offspring (1977)

Imitation/non-imitation by adult offspring of alcohol-related parent behavior was examined in the context of the fall-off effect’ and of sensible/problem alcohol use, two processes which tend to constrain drinking. Evidence indicates there is more imitation by adult offspring of abstemious parents (both abstainer and low volume) than of high volume parents. Adult offspring drink significantly less, on the average, than their high volume parents, a phenomenon here termed‘fall-off effect’ for both men and women with respect to either their fathers or mothers. This fall-off among social drinkers appears when the mother approaches or the father consumes at or more than a typical daily drinking level (≥1 drink per day). More sensible drinking occurs among adult offspring when (I) the parent has no drinking problem-signs than when the parent has drinking problems (this pattern appears at all levels of offspring consumption), and (2) when parents drink at high volume and have no problems for those offspring who do not imitate parent volume. Drinking “sensibly’ appears to be associated directly with the level of parent alcohol use and offsprings’ own drinking levels (considered as imitation or non-imitation of parents), and indirectly with offspring recall of problematic intake by parents. Drinking sensibly is a medical, education and public health issue.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72393/1/j.1360-0443.1990.tb03439.x.pd

Familial transmission of alcohol use: V. Drinking patterns among spouses, Tecumseh, Michigan

This study examined concordance and discordance of self-reported alcohol consumption in 184 spouse pairs drawn from a representative sample of the Tecumseh, MI community. A significant association (tau B=.57, p <.001) between self-reported alcohol consumption of husbands and that of wives was observed. Drinking daily and high maximum drinking were also significantly correlated between spouses, as were church attendance, smoking, impulsivity, and sociability. A significant association between the drinking of wives and that of their mothers-in-law was noted. The relationship between husbands' drinking and that of their fathers-in-law was marginally significant. However, three-quarters of daughters of heavy-drinking fathers (21 of 28) married abstemious men (never drank or drank lightly), while only 7% married heavy-drinking husbands. These findings lend support to the idea that a network of familial influences—both primary and secondary assortative mating—contributes to regulating adult drinking behavior.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44107/1/10519_2005_Article_BF01066793.pd

Recreational drugs and sexual behavior in the Chicago MACS/CCS cohort of homosexually active men

Since initial reports emerged of an association between recreational drug use and high-risk sexual behaviors in gay men, there has been interest in studying this relationship for its relevance to behavioral interventions. Reported here are the longitudinal patterns of alcohol and recreational drug use in the Chicago Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)/Coping and Change Study (CCS) of gay men. A pattern of decreasing drug use over 6 years was observed that paralleled a decline in high-risk sexual behavior (i.e., unprotected anal intercourse). In contrast, alcohol consumption tended to be more stable over time, and to show no relationship to sexual behavior change. Men who combined volatile nitrite (popper) use with other recreational drugs were at highest risk both behaviorally and in terms of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) seroconversion throughout the study. Popper use also was associated independently with lapse from safer sexual behaviors (failure to use a condom during receptive anal sex). Use of other recreational substances showed no relationship to sexual behavior change patterns, and stopping popper use was unrelated to improvement in safer sexual behavior. When popper use and lapse from safer sex were reanalyzed, controlling for primary relationship status, popper use was associated with failure to use condoms during receptive anal sex among nonmonogamous men only. These findings suggest an association between popper use and high-risk sexual behavior among members of the Chicago MACS/CCS cohort that has relevance to HIV prevention intervention efforts.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31072/1/0000749.pd

Aggregate Versus Individual-Level Sexual Behavior Assessment: How Much Detail Is Needed to Accurately Estimate HIV/STI Risk?

The sexual behaviors of HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention intervention participants can be assessed on a partner-by-partner basis: in aggregate (i.e., total numbers of sex acts, collapsed across partners) or using a combination of these two methods (e.g., assessing five partners in detail and any remaining partners in aggregate). There is a natural trade-off between the level of sexual behavior detail and the precision of HIV/STI acquisition risk estimates. The results of this study indicate that relatively simple aggregate data collection techniques suffice to adequately estimate HIV risk. For highly infectious STIs, in contrast, accurate STI risk assessment requires more intensive partner-by-partner methods.HIV/STI prevention; sexual behavior; assessment; risk

The Health and Sociocultural Correlates of AIDS Genocidal Beliefs and Medical Mistrust Among African American MSM

This study examined social and health-related correlates of AIDS conspiracy theories among 464 African American men who have sex with men (MSM). Exploratory factor analysis revealed two subscales within the AIDS conspiracy beliefs scale: medical mistrust and AIDS genocidal beliefs. Multiple regression analyses revealed medical mistrust and AIDS genocidal beliefs were both associated negative condom use attitudes and higher levels of internalized homonegativity. Medical mistrust was also associated with lower knowledge of HIV risk reduction strategies. Finally, we conducted bivariate regressions to examine the subsample of participants who reported being HIV-positive and currently taking HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) to test associations between sexual behavior and HIV treatment and AIDS conspiracy theories. Among this subsample, medical mistrust was associated with having a detectable viral load and not disclosing HIV-status to all partners in the previous 3 months. Collectively, these findings have implications for HIV prevention and treatment for African American MSM

Social Media Use and High-Risk Sexual Behavior Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Three-City Study

Abstract Black men who have sex with men (MSM) beara disproportionate burden of human immunodeficiency(HIV) incidence in the United States. Little research hasfocused on the associations between social media use andsexual behavior among Black MSM. 205 Black MSMcompleted measures assessing social media use and sexualbehaviors. Men spent an average of 34 h per week onsocial media sites. 53 % arranged sexual hookups online inthe previous 3 months, and did so a mean of 10 times.Overall, users of social media and men who arrangedsexual hookups online engaged in more risky behaviorsthan non-users and men who did not arrange sexualhookups online. However, partner-level data indicated thatmen engaged in fewer risky behaviors with partners metonline compared to partners met in other ways such as atbars or through friends. Social media-based interventionsdesigned to decrease HIV transmission among racialminority MSM are needed