Daily Sexual Objectification As a Proximal Risk Factor for Craving and Alcohol Use After Sexual Assault: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

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OBJECTIVE: Women who have experienced sexual assault report higher rates of alcohol use. Sexual objectification experiences, such as sexualized body gazes, gestures, commentary, and physical contact, have been linked with greater alcohol use and may represent a particular stressor for women who have experienced sexual assault, potentially leading to craving and alcohol use to cope. This study used a 3-week ecological momentary assessment design to test whether experiencing sexual objectification indirectly predicted the likelihood of later alcohol use through heightened craving. Further, because sexual minority women may be disproportionately targeted by objectification and are more likely to report alcohol misuse, we explored whether sexual minority women experienced more objectification than heterosexual women and, in turn, greater craving and alcohol use. METHOD: Participants were 82 women who had experienced sexual assault and reported probable alcohol misuse and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Women were predominantly heterosexual and bisexual. Participants reported on daily objectification experiences and momentary craving each evening, as well as past-day alcohol use each morning. A multilevel structural equation model was estimated in Mplus. RESULTS: As hypothesized, there was an indirect effect of experiencing objectification on a given day on later alcohol use endorsement via greater alcohol craving. There was not an indirect effect of sexual minority identity on average alcohol use frequency via objectification and craving, but sexual minority women experienced greater average craving than heterosexual women. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support daily objectification experiences as a novel proximal risk factor for heightened craving and drinking among sexual assault survivors with diverse sexual identities.

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