A sex- and gender-based analysis of alcohol treatment intervention research involving youth: a methodological systematic review

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dc.contributor.authorLowik, A.J.
dc.contributor.authorMniszak, Caroline
dc.contributor.authorPang, Michelle
dc.contributor.authorZiafat, Kimia
dc.contributor.authorKaramouzian, Mohammad
dc.contributor.authorKnight, Rod
dc.date.accessioned2025-02-25T22:53:46Z
dc.date.available2025-02-25T22:53:46Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.descriptionOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) applies
dc.description.abstractBackground While there is widespread consensus that sex- and gender-related factors are important for how interventions are designed, implemented, and evaluated, it is not currently known how alcohol treatment research accounts for sex characteristics and/or gender identities and modalities. This methodological systematic review documents and assesses how sex characteristics, gender identities, and gender modalities are operationalized in alcohol treatment intervention research involving youth. Methods and findings We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, CINAHL, LGBT Life, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and grey literature from 2008 to 2023. We included articles that reported genders and/or sexes of participants 30 years of age and under and screened participants using AUDIT, AUDIT-C, or a structured interview using DSM-IV criteria. We limited the inclusion to studies that enrolled participants in alcohol treatment interventions and used a quantitative study design. We provide a narrative overview of the findings. Of 8,019 studies screened for inclusion, 86 articles were included in the review. None of the studies defined, measured, and reported both sex and gender variables accurately. Only 2 studies reported including trans participants. Most of the studies used gender or sex measures as a covariate to control for the effects of sex or gender on the intervention but did not discuss the rationale for or implications of this procedure. Conclusions Our findings identify that the majority of alcohol treatment intervention research with youth conflate sex and gender factors, including terminologically, conceptually, and methodologically. Based on these findings, we recommend future research in this area define and account for a spectrum of gender modalities, identities, and/or sex characteristics throughout the research life cycle, including during study design, data collection, data analysis, and reporting. It is also imperative that sex and gender variables are used expansively to ensure that intersex and trans youth are meaningfully integrated.
dc.description.peer-reviewYes
dc.identifier.citationLowik, A., Mniszak, C., Pang, M., Ziafat, K., Karamouzian, M., & Knight, R. (2024). A sex- and gender-based analysis of alcohol treatment intervention research involving youth: a methodological systematic review. PLoS Medicine, 21(6), Article e1004413. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004413
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/6991
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherPublic Library of Science
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Sociology
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Science
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Lethbridge
dc.publisher.urlhttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004413
dc.subjectAlcohol treatment research
dc.subjectSex characteristics
dc.subjectGender identities
dc.subjectGender modalities
dc.subject.lcshSystematic reviews (Medical research)
dc.subject.lcshYouth--Alcohol use
dc.titleA sex- and gender-based analysis of alcohol treatment intervention research involving youth: a methodological systematic review
dc.typeArticle
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