Heavy drinking in early adulthood and outcomes at mid life

• Published in: Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) Vol. 65; no. 7; pp. 600 - 605
• Main Authors: Sloan, F A, Costanzo, P R, Belsky, D, Holmberg, E, Malone, P S, Wang, Y, Kertesz, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.07.2011; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: addictive behaviour; Adolescent; Adult; Adulthood; African Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcohol; Alcohol drinking; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - ethnology; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol use; Alcoholic beverages; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Career Mobility; Educational attainment; Educational Status; Employment; Employment - statistics & numerical data; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Female; General aspects; Heavy drinking; Hostility; Humans; inequalities SI; Labor market; Labor markets; longitudinal data analysis; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; occupational epidem; occupational prestige; Prestige; psychological distress; psychosocial factors; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Questionnaires; Race; Racial differences; Research report; Residual stress; Retention; Risk Factors; Stomach; Stress; Stress, Psychological; Studies; Toxicology; Variables; Vulnerability; Womens health; Young Adult; Young adults; Human; Medicine; Alcoholic beverage; Prognosis; Alcoholism; Adult; Evolution; Early; Age; Public health
• ISSN: 0143-005X; 1470-2738
• DOI: 10.1136/jech.2009.102228

BackgroundHeavy drinking in early adulthood among Blacks, but not Whites, has been found to be associated with more deleterious health outcomes, lower labor market success and lower educational attainment at mid-life. This study analysed psychosocial pathways underlying racial differences in the impact of early heavy alcohol use on occupational and educational attainment at mid-life.MethodsOutcomes in labor market participation, occupational prestige and educational attainment were measured in early and mid-adulthood. A mixture model was used to identify psychosocial classes that explain how race-specific differences in the relationship between drinking in early adulthood and occupational outcomes in mid-life operate. Data came from Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, a longitudinal epidemiologic study.ResultsEspecially for Blacks, heavy drinking in early adulthood was associated with a lower probability of being employed in mid-life. Among employed persons, there was a link between heavy drinking for both Whites and Blacks and decreased occupational attainment at mid-life. We grouped individuals into three distinct distress classes based on external stressors and indicators of internally generated stress. Blacks were more likely to belong to the higher distressed classes as were heavy drinkers in early adulthood. Stratifying the data by distress class, relationships between heavy drinking, race and heavy drinking–race interactions were overall weaker than in the pooled analysis.ConclusionsDisproportionate intensification of life stresses in Blacks renders them more vulnerable to long-term effects of heavy drinking.