JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Globally, women consume less alcohol than men but alcohol consumption among women has declined less than among men. Drinking rates and alcohol-related harms vary substantially across population groups of women, and sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbian, bisexual, queer) are a population group at notably high-risk for heavy drinking. An emerging body of literature suggests that in addition to minority stress (e.g., stigma, marginalization, discrimination), drinking culture and drinking norms are likely factors that influence SMW’s drinking patterns. Unfortunately, almost no research has explored these factors as possible targets of interventions for heavy drinking SMW. Sober curiosity is a rapidly growing wellness movement that may be particularly salient for SMW who wish to reduce their alcohol consumption. It implies having the option to choose, to question, or to change one’s drinking behaviors or to be ‘curious’ about the reasons one chooses to drink, and the way alcohol affects one’s life and health. It emphasizes alcohol and its addictive properties rather than the person as the ‘problem’. We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on alcohol interventions with SMW. We found just a handful of studies and scant attention to drinking cultures, normative beliefs, or other key elements of the sober curiosity movement. To better understand how social and cultural contexts influence diverse SMW’s drinking, barriers and facilitators to reducing drinking, and the usefulness of approaches based on sober curiosity, we are conducing two pilot studies, one that includes focus groups and a national survey with SMW in Scotland, and the other that includes in-depth interviews with SMW in the United States. Each of the pilot projects received institutional review board approval in August 2023 and are currently open for recruitment. We anticipate completing data collection for both projects in fall 2024 and plan to submit a report of findings in spring 2025. Following data collection for the pilot studies, we will convene two international expert panels to review findings and assist with identifying key elements of an effective on-line intervention for SMW based on sober curiosity approaches. Findings will contribute to understanding what SMW believe to be most useful in helping them reduce their alcohol consumption and will inform the future development of an intervention that builds on the sober curiosity philosophy.