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Substance Use Homophily Among Geosocial Networking Application Using Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men

  • Special Section: Sexual Health In Gay And Bisexual Men
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Abstract

Geosocial networking applications (GSN apps) represent important virtual contexts in which gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) seek affiliation. These apps allow users to create and view public profiles, send photos, and text messages, and connect with other users based on shared interests and geographic proximity. The present study examined substance use homophily among a sample of 295 MSM recruited via a popular GSN app. Comparisons of social network members met via GSN app versus elsewhere and associations between both individual and network characteristics and recent binge drinking, marijuana use, and illicit substance use were explored using bivariate tests of association and multivariate logistic regression analyses. High rates of recent binge drinking (59 %), marijuana use (37 %), and illicit substance use (27 %) were observed among participants. GSN app use greater than 1 year and showing naked chest or abs in a profile picture were positively associated with recent illicit substance use. In multivariate analyses, the strongest predictors of binge drinking (AOR 3.81; 95 % CI 1.86–7.80), marijuana use (AOR 4.12; 95 % CI 2.22–7.64), and illicit substance use (AOR 6.45; 95 % CI 3.26–12.79) were the presence of a social network member who also engaged in these behaviors. Social network interventions that target binge drinking, marijuana use, and illicit substance use may be delivered via GSN apps to reduce the prevalence of substance use and related risks among MSM in these virtual contexts.

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Acknowledgments

This work was also supported by the Center for HIV Prevention, Identification and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) NIMH Grant MH58107; the UCLA Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Grant 5P30AI028697; and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through UCLA CSTI Grant UL1TR000124. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIH. The author would like to thank Dr. Eric Rice for his leadership on the parent study, Diane Tan for her assistance with manuscript preparation, and the community advisory board who helped guide the research.

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  1. Department of Social Welfare, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, 3250 Public Affairs Building, Box 951656, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1656, USA

    Ian W. Holloway

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Holloway, I.W. Substance Use Homophily Among Geosocial Networking Application Using Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men. Arch Sex Behav 44, 1799–1811 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0581-6

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