Connection to the Gay Community and Social Relationships: Which Social Factors Are Associated with Alcohol and Marijuana Use for Sexual Minority Men?

Background and Purpose: Sexual minority men (SMM) report high rates of alcohol and cannabis use. Previous research has suggested that gay community connection (GCC) may promote substance use. However, this research was conducted during eras where SMM may have relied on bars and clubs to find each other. Now, access to technology may mean that GCC is not a product exclusively of interactions in environments that promote substance use. Further, higher rates of substance use may be better explained by homophily (i.e., social network composition, the behaviors and beliefs of friends and family). Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify which social factors (i.e., GCC and social network composition) contribute to substance use for SMM.

Methods: In 2020, 168 sexual minority men were recruited to complete an online survey in the South-eastern US. Participants responded to demographic items, a social network questionnaire, recent substance use items, and a scale of GCC. Social network data was transformed into proportions (e.g., proportion of social network that uses marijuana). Three multivariate regressions (i.e., two linear, and one logistic) were used to test the relationship between GCC and social network proportions (social network alters that use substance, and social network alters that object to substance use) with each substance use outcome (recent alcohol use, recent binge drinking behaviors, recent cannabis use).

Results: On average the sample reported drinking alcohol 6 days in the last month, and binge drinking 1 to 2 days in the last month. Thirty-nine percent of the sample reported using marijuana in the last month. All models were significant. The proportion of the social network that regularly binge drinks was associated with days of alcohol use (b=11.329, p<.001) and binge drinking behaviors (b=2.907, p<.01). GCC was only associated with binge drinking behaviors (b=.182, p<.001). Both the proportion of the social network that uses marijuana (OR=35.037, 95% CI: 9.697, 126.603) and objects to marijuana use (OR=.284, 95% CI: .100, .806) were associated with the odds of recent marijuana use.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings suggest that social network characteristics may be better predictors of alcohol and marijuana use compared GCC. However, because many sexual minority men may still interact together in bars or clubs, increased GCC is related to binge drinking behaviors. Future research should identify intervention methods of using social network ties to influence substance use behaviors in sexual minority men. The current study also suggests that additional research is needed to understand the different components of GCC and how technology access and use may impact how GCC is defined.