Drinking Behaviors and Life Course Socioeconomic Status During the Transition From Adolescence to Adulthood Among Whites and Blacks

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective:This study sought to determine how socioeconomic status (SES) changes during the transition from adolescence into adulthood, and to understand the effects of SES on drinking behaviors in early adulthood among U.S. Whites and Blacks. Method: Secondary data analysis was conducted using three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a school-based sample of adolescents (Grades 7-12) followed through adulthood (age range: 25-31 years). Through latent class analysis, SES was operationalized as economic (i.e., income, home ownership) and human capital (i.e., education, occupation). Drinking behavior was categorized into no past-year use, current drinking without weekly heavy episodic drinking (HED), and weekly HED. Models were stratifi ed by race: Whites (n = 5,248) and Blacks (n = 1,875). Results: For Whites, four economic capital groups (persistently low, upward, downward, and persistently high) and fi ve human capital groups (persistently low, upward with work, upward with school, downward with work, and persistently high) were found. Blacks had roughly similar SES groups as Whites but with lower economic and human capital levels across all groups and without downward groups in either domain. Among both Whites and Blacks, lower economic and human capital groups reported higher abstinence. Persistently low Blacks, however, reported higher HED, whereas persistently low Whites did not. Moreover, economically upward Whites reported lower HED, whereas upwardly mobile Blacks did not. Conclusions: Racial disparities were evident by economic and human capital during the transition into adulthood. Although abstinence profi les were similar for Whites and Blacks, both persistently low and upward trajectory groups signifi ed differential HED risks. Future research should examine the mechanisms by which SES trajectories affect drinking behaviors. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 76, 68-79, 2015)

Adult low-risk drinkers and abstainers are not the same

“…Our finding that higher socio-economic status increases the likelihood of low-risk drinking as opposed to abstaining is consistent with studies of older adults' alcohol consumption [18,23]. It suggests that further education and greater financial means are associated with a social position where drinking is potentially more affordable and where moderation is socially acceptable [35,36]. Drinking behaviour is widely considered to be agerelated, and often characterised by heavier episodic drinking during early adulthood, more frequent but lower overall consumption in mid-to-late adulthood [11,37], followed by increased prevalence of abstinence in later life [23].…”

School-to-work and school-to-university transition and health inequalities among young adults: a scoping review

“…A very heterogeneous picture of results coming from the various longitudinal studies emerged. Results of several studies suggested that higher family SEP was associated with higher levels of health-promoting behaviour37 43 45 57 65 74 75 and lower levels of health-damaging behaviour. However, two studies pointed in the opposite direction 58 76.…”

Social disparities in alcohol consumption among Canadian emerging adults

“…The no drinking findings are in line with studies in EA populations in Britain, France, the US and Australia. [36][37][38][39] The reasons for the association between lower SES and not drinking are not well understood, although pre-existing poor physical or mental health may influence lifetime abstention. 36 It is increasingly recognized that EAs are drinking less than ever before, yet few population studies include nondrinking EAs as a subject of analysis.…”