Beverage-specific patterns of 5+ alcoholic drink consumption by young adults in the U.S

• Published in: Addictive behaviors Vol. 65; pp. 19 - 24
• Main Authors: Stern, Stephanie A., Terry-McElrath, Yvonne M., Patrick, Megan E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol Drinking in College; Alcoholic Beverages - statistics & numerical data; Beverage type; Binge drinking; Binge Drinking - epidemiology; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Sex Distribution; Students - statistics & numerical data; United States - epidemiology; Universities; Young Adult; Binge drinking; Beverage type; Young adult
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.09.010

Young adult binge drinking prevalence has been widely researched. However, beverage-specific binge drinking rates for beer, liquor, wine, and wine coolers have not yet been documented for this age group. This study examines consumption of specific beverages (i.e., 5+ drinks in a row in the past two weeks) by young adults aged 19/20. Data from the national Monitoring the Future study were collected one or two years after high school from 2004 to 2014 (n=2004). Logistic regression was used to examine associations between beverage-specific 5+ drinking and gender, race/ethnicity, parent education, college status, and cohort year. Overall 5+ drinking in the past two weeks was reported by 31.4% of young adults. Beverage-specific 5+ drinking was most common with liquor (22.6%) and beer (22.4%), followed by wine (4.5%) and wine coolers (3.0%). Men were more likely than women to engage in 5+ drinking with beer and liquor; women were more likely than men to do so with wine and wine coolers. Beverage-specific patterns differed by college attendance. Compared to four-year college students, two-year college/votech students were less likely to have 5+ drinks of liquor or wine, and more likely to have 5+ wine coolers; those not in college were less likely to have 5+ drinks of liquor and more likely to have 5+ wine coolers. Differences in beverage-specific 5+ drinking by gender and college enrollment suggest that intervention efforts should focus on the beverages that are most commonly consumed at high levels within specific early young adult populations. •We examined beverage-specific 5+ drinking among U.S. young adults.•5+ drinks was most common with liquor and beer, followed by wine and wine coolers.•Men were more likely than women to have 5+ drinks of beer and liquor.•Women were more likely than men to have 5+ drinks of wine and wine coolers.•5+ drinking differed by college enrollment (4-year, 2-year/votech, no college).