(PS8-40) Drinking and Consequences Among LGBTQIA+ Undergraduates During Pride Weekend: A Mixed-methods Investigation of a Potential High Risk Drinking Event

LGBTQIA+ populations experience disproportionate rates of alcohol-related negative consequences compared to the general population. Research suggests certain high risk drinking events (HRDE) may elevate drinking and consequences, even among those not prone to engaging in risky drinking. However, limited research examines HRDE among LGBTQIA+ populations. LGBTQIA+ Pride events (i.e. “Pride”) may serve as a HRDE for this population given the centrality of alcohol sponsorships and drinking venues (e.g. gay bars) to these celebrations. The present study uses a mixed-method approach to investigate drinking behaviors of LGBTQIA+ college students during a Pride weekend.

Data are drawn from a web-based pilot intervention study addressing HRDE among LGBTQIA+ college students. Eligibility criteria included that participants identified with a sexuality other than “exclusively heterosexual” and/or with a gender identity different than their sex assigned at birth, and had at least 1 instance of heavy episodic drinking and at least 2 drinking-related consequences in the prior month. A total of 116 undergraduates (Mage = 20.2; SD = 11) completed pre- and post-Pride online surveys, including standardized measures and open-ended qualitative questions.

Eighty responses to the open-ended question “What do you most look forward to while celebrating Pride this year?” (i.e., Reasons for Looking Forward to Pride; RLFP) were coded, resulting in 24 codes representing different RLFP. Most commonly, students were looking forward to spending time with their loved one (n = 37; 46.3%), a sense of community (n = 23; 28.7%), Pride-related entertainment (n = 16; 13.8%), celebrating (n = 15; 12.9%), and joy (n = 14; 12.1%).

At post-event assessment, among those who reported drinking at least one drink during the Pride weekend (n = 80), negative alcohol-related consequences were common, with 51.9% of those who drank during Pride reporting at least one consequence (M = 1.95; SD = 3.52; Range = 0-24); there was wide variability in the number and type of consequences experienced.

To assess the association of RLFP and alcohol use on alcohol-related consequences during Pride weekend, the top five most endorsed RLFP were individually entered into negative binomial regressions, with age and treatment condition covariates. All regression models were significant at the omnibus level, adjusted for familywise error (all ps < .0001). Greater number of drinks consumed consistently predicted a higher incidence of alcohol-related negative consequences during Pride weekend. One RLFP significantly predicted negative consequences: joy. Those endorsing joy as a RLFP had a 3.41 times higher incidence of consequences than those who did not.

This work indicates many LGBTQIA+ college students report drinking during Pride, and of those, many report negative consequences. Further work is needed to better understand if Pride is a HRDE relative to other drinking occasions, and how motives and expectancies about the event may influence drinking behavior and consequences. Such understanding may inform clinicians’ assessment and intervention with LGBTQIA+ clients, supporting strategies to emphasize positive aspects of Pride while reducing the likelihood of drinking-related harms.