Female-male Differences in Alcohol Dependence Levels: Evidence on Newly Incident Adolescent and Young-adult Drinkers in the United States, 2002-2014

Overview

Journal Int J Methods Psychiatr Res

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2018 May 11

PMID 29745044

Citations 7

Authors

Hui G Cheng

James C Anthony

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: In this study of newly incident drinkers (NIDs), we (a) investigate and calibrate measurement equivalence of 7 clinical features of an alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) across sex and age-of-onset subgroups and (b) estimate female-male differences in ADS levels soon after taking the first full drink, with focus on those with first full drink before the 24th birthday.

Methods: The study population is 12- to 23-year-old NIDs living in the United States (n = 33,561). Calibrated for measurement equivalence, male-female differences in levels of newly incident ADS are estimated for 6 age-of-onset subgroups.

Results: Measurement equivalence is achieved by dropping the "difficulty cutting down" item. Then, among early-adolescent-onset NID, females have higher ADS levels (for 12- to 13-year-old NID: β = .25; 95% CI [0.05, 0.45]). In contrast, when drinking onset is delayed to adulthood, males have higher ADS levels (e.g., for 18- to 19-year-old NID: β = -.27; 95% CI [-0.52, -0.02]; for 20- to 21-year-old NID: β = -.38; 95% CI [-0.65, -0.12]).

Conclusions: In the United States, there is female excess in ADS levels measured soon after drinking onset in early adolescence. The traditional male excess is seen when drinking onset occurs after mid-adolescence. Evidence from other countries will be useful.

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