Childhood and adolescent predictors of alcohol use and problems in adolescence and adulthood in the National Child Development Study

Abstract

Aims To identify childhood and adolescent predictors of alcohol use and harmful drinking in adolescence and adulthood. Design Longitudinal data from childhood to mid-life from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) were used, including predictors collected at ages 7, 11, 16 years and alcohol outcomes collected at ages 16, 23, 33 and 42 years. Setting The NCDS is an ongoing longitudinal study of a cohort of 1 week's births in Britain in 1958. Participants Childhood and adolescent predictors and alcohol use data from at least one adolescent or adult wave were available from 7883 females and 8126 males. Measurements Social background, family, academic and behavioural predictors measured at ages 7, 11 and 16 years were entered into hierarchical multiple and logistic regressions to predict quantity of alcohol use at ages 16, 23, and 33 years and harmful drinking [i.e. Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilt, Eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire score] by age 42 years. Findings Previous drinking was controlled in final models to predict change. Drinking was heavier among those with greater childhood and adolescent social advantage (especially females), less harmonious family relationships, more social maladjustment, greater academic performance, less internalizing problems, more truancy and earlier school-leaving plans. Conclusions Alcohol use and problems in adulthood can be predicted by indicators of social background, adjustment and behaviour in childhood and adolescence. Results demonstrate that the early roots of adolescent and adult alcohol use behaviours begin in childhood.

School Achievement, IQ, and Risk of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Prospective, Co-Relative Analysis in a Swedish National Cohort

“…N INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN measures of cognitive ability in adolescence and risk of future heavy alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been reported in many studies (Crum et al, 1993;Finn & Hall, 2004;Hawkins et al, 1992;Huurre et al, 2010;Sjolund et al, 2012) but not all (Crum et al, 2006;Grant et al, 2015;Hatch et al, 2007;Maggs et al, 2008). However, if present, the causal nature of this association is unclear.…”

Education, Alcohol Use and Abuse Among Young Adults in Britain

“…Variations in estimates of the direction and strength of the association mirror results of research examining social class differentials in alcohol consumption Caldwell et al, 2008). Although some studies show that individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds tend to consume more alcohol compared with their better off peers (Leigh, 1996;Kuntsche et al, 2004, Mossakowski, 2008, others suggest that the opposite may be true (Ornstein and Hanssens, 1985;Grossman et al, 1995;NHS, 2008;Maggs et al, 2008).…”

“…Finally, cohort members filled the Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilt and Eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire, a screening instrument widely used to assess life-time drinking problems (Maggs et al, 2008;Caldwell et al, 2008) (McCusker et al, 2002). However, other studies argue that a cut-off point of one has a stronger predictive power for identifying incidence of harmful drinking practices (Knight et al, 2003).…”

<b>Propaganda de álcool e associação ao consumo de cerveja por adolescentes</b>

“…The results of the present study indicate ways through which advertisements can infl uence adolescents' consumption and what can be done to prevent this, once they are consistent with previous studies and the association is plausible. 22 The responsibility for the development, codifi cation and internalization of the messages transmitted by the media falls on both the one who sends the message and the other who receives it. Certainly, the media is not the direct cause of alcohol drinking.…”