One broad long-term objective of this research is to investigate the influence of the presence of women as professional peers on the drinking behaviors of both women and men. Another objective is to study the drinking behaviors of attorneys, a group that may be at higher risk for alcohol abuse and alcohol-related problems than some other professionals. Both of these objectives may lead to increased understanding of workplace risk factors and of the interactive relationship that exists between the individual and the work environment. The results may suggest effective ways to lower risks and prevent the development of alcohol-related problems among attorneys, among female and/or male attorneys, and among other workers in similar situations. The research has three main specific aims: to study the relationship between the gender balance of attorneys and their alcohol consumption; to analyze the influence of some demographic, gender balance, and workplace variables on alcohol consumption; and to compare attorneys in private practice with those who work for government agencies. Gender balance is defined as the ratio of men to women in a firm/agency. Measures of gender balance will be l) overall male-female ratio in the firm, 2) numbers of female peers in the firm, 3) number of female attorneys the respondent works with, and 4) number of female attorneys the respondent socializes with. The research will assess the importance of considering gender balance as a risk factor for - increased alcohol consumption and alcohol- related problems. In addition to data on gender balance, the results will provide information on specific aspects of the workplace, including formal policies about alcohol use, norms and unwritten rules about alcohol use, and extent and type of business-related drinking. Differences between attorneys in private practice and those who work for government agencies will be investigated, as will the effect of specializing in criminal prosecution or defense. The research also will consider the effect of external factors, such as the presence of children in the home and spouse's occupation, on drinking behaviors. Subjects will be 600 members of bar associations in eight cities in four midwestern states. Names will be obtained through stratified random sampling from bar association membership lists. Data will be collected through telephone interviews. During the interviews, participants will be asked demographic questions, questions about the gender balance of attorneys in their firms/agencies, questions about their overall alcohol consumption and specific business-related consumption, and questions about workplace policies and norms and the consequences of violation of written and unwritten rules. The data will be analyzed with reference to the specific aims, utilizing multiple regression and other statistical techniques. A report of the results will be available to all participants.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA010092-02
Application #
2046554
Study Section
Clinical and Treatment Subcommittee (ALCP)
Project Start
1994-09-01
Project End
1996-08-31
Budget Start
1995-09-01
Budget End
1996-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1995
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Wichita State University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Wichita
State
KS
Country
United States
Zip Code
67260