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Symposia

Addictive Behaviors

Romantic Relationship Dynamics and Alcohol Use: Rigorous Science Aimed at Understanding Relationship Factors Related to Use and Efforts to Improve Treatment Outcomes by Involving Romantic Partners

3 - (SYM 21) The Impact of Significant Other Support and Sex on Alcohol Use Among Black Adults: An Analysis from Ecological Momentary Assessment

Friday, November 21, 2025
5:41 PM - 6:00 PM CST
Location: Empire A, Level 2
Keywords: Addictive Behaviors, Couples / Close Relationships, Underserved Populations
Recommended Readings: McCrady, B.S., Wilson, A.D., Muñoz, R.E., Fink, B.C., Fokas, K. and Borders, A. (2016), Alcohol-Focused Behavioral Couple Therapy. Fam. Proc., 55: 443-459. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12231,   Derrick, J. L., Testa, M., Wang, W., & Leonard, K. E. (2023). Elixir of love or venom of violence: When does a drinking event result in couple intimacy or couple conflict?. Addictive behaviors, 136, 107488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107488,   Stewart, S. H., Rodriguez, L. M., Mackinnon, S. P., Brown, C. G., Arjona, R. N., Cosman, T., & Sherry, S. B. (2023). Links Between Romantic Relationship Dysfunction and Drinking Behaviors Are Moderated by Gender and Age. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 84(3), 465–475. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.22-00278,   Leone, R. M., Jarnecke, A. M., Gilmore, A. K., & Flanagan, J. C. (2022). Alcohol use problems and conflict among couples: A preliminary investigation of the moderating effects of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Couple & family psychology, 11(4), 290–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000160,   Mutschler, C., Malivoire, B. L., Schumm, J. A., & Monson, C. M. (2022). Mechanisms and moderators of behavioural couples therapy for alcohol and substance use disorders: an updated review of the literature. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 50(3), 312–333. doi:10.1017/S1352465822000042
Abstract Body



Background: Although Black adults evince lower rates of current (past-month) alcohol use than non-Hispanic/Latine White adults, this group is at higher risk for alcohol-related problems (e.g., cirrhosis; Harris et al., 2022) and more severe and chronic alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms (Chartier & Caetano, 2010). Further, women are at higher risk for long-term health effects from their alcohol use than men, and Black women, in particular, face a greater AUD-related health burden than White women (Chartier et al., 2013; Jackson et al., 2015). One factor that appears protective against alcohol misuse among predominantly White samples is significant other (SO) support – to illustrate, high support from a SO has shown to buffer against alcohol problems (Windle & Windle, 2019), and women are more likely than men to drink in heavy quantities when feeling disconnected from their SO (Levitt & Cooper, 2010). However, no known studies have tested the effects of SO support on alcohol use among Black adults.



Methods: The current study used ecological momentary assessment in an on-going study from 39 Black adults (56.5% female) thus far in committed relationships endorsing current hazardous drinking (AUDIT > 5; Reinert & Allen, 2007). Data from the daily interval contingent (each morning) assessment was used to assess past-day alcohol use over a three-week period. A binomial generalized linear model with a logit link was used to test whether baseline SO support interacted with sex to predict likelihood of past-day drinking.



Results: Results indicate that men had a greater likelihood of past-day alcohol use compared to women (B = 4.711, SE = 1.387, Wald χ²(1) = 11.546, p < .001). The main effect of SO support on past-day alcohol use was not statistically significant (Wald χ²(1) = .087, p = .768). However, baseline SO support did interact with sex to predict likelihood of past-day alcohol use (B = -0.891, SE = 0.234, Wald χ²(1) = 14.483, p < .001), such that as SO support increases, past-day alcohol use was less likely for men (B = -0.411, SE = 0.234, Wald χ²(1) = 6.031, p = .014) but more likely for women (B = 0.480, SE = 0.164, Wald χ²(1) = 8.595, p = .003).


Conclusion: This is the first known study of the effects of SO support on alcohol use among Black adults. Contrary to prior work, SO support only reduced likelihood of past-day alcohol use for Black men, not women. Future work is needed to elucidate contextual factors that may contribute to this relationship. Findings have important implications for prevention and treatment efforts for Black adults who engage in hazardous alcohol use.