The Association between Heavy Episodic Drinking and Gender Orientation among U.S. College Students: The Significance of Masculinity.

Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) remains a public health concern among college students. Sex differences are routinely reported in the literature although some evidence of convergence in drinking patterns has been observed. The association between sex and gender-orientation in HED remains unclear because sex and gender are often conflated.

Objective: We examine the intersection of sex, gender-orientation and HED to determine if gender-orientation alone and/or in conjunction with sex play a role in HED among college students.

Methods: Data were collected using a web-based self-administered survey made available to students enrolled in courses at a mid-sized Midwestern public university during the Fall of 2013 and the Spring of 2014 (N = 793). Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between HED, sex, and gender orientation (measured using the short-form Bem Sex Role Inventory).

Results: Our findings indicate that, regardless of sex, a masculine gender-orientation was positively associated with HED. Those who were found to have a feminine gender-orientation appeared to be at decreased risk for HED.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that sex and gender-orientation should be taken into account in prevention and intervention protocols at colleges and universities. Future work should examine the role of gender orientation among LGBTQ and ethno-racial minority populations.