Parent–Offspring Resemblance for Drinking Behaviors in a Longitudinal Twin Sample

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective:The purpose of the current study was to evaluate parent-offspring resemblance for alcohol consumption and dependence symptoms, including sex-specific effects, and how these patterns change across adolescence and early adulthood. Method: Three cohorts of twins were assessed longitudinally at five time points between ages 14 and 29 years, with parents directly assessed at intake, using structured interviews. Twin offspring and parents from the population-based Minnesota Twin Family Study were included for a total sample size of 3,762 offspring (52% female) and their parents. Alcohol use was measured using an index based on drinking quantity, frequency, maximum drinks, and number of intoxications. Alcohol dependence symptom counts were also used. Results: Parent-offspring correlations for alcohol consumption increased from age 14 (r = .12) to age 17 (r = .25), remained stable from ages 17 through 24, and then decreased slightly by age 29 (r = .19). Familial resemblance for symptoms of alcohol dependence peaked at age 17 (r = .18) then decreased through age 29 (r = .11). Parent-offspring correlations of both measures did not vary significantly by sex of offspring or sex of parent. Conclusions: Overall, parent-offspring resemblance for alcohol use and problems is relatively stable after early adulthood, with resemblance for alcohol use at higher magnitudes across offspring development. Evidence for differential resemblance based on sex of offspring or parents was lacking. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 78, 49-58, 2017)

The role of parent and offspring sex on risk for externalizing psychopathology in offspring with parental alcohol use disorder: a national Swedish study

“…These findings are inconsistent with the research that did not find any significant effects of parental or offspring sex [1, 12, 20, 21]. It is possible that part of the explanation for these inconsistencies is due to differences in the outcomes examined, as Belliveau & Stoppard (1995) examined internalizing symptoms.…”

“…While Pollock and colleagues [17] showed that daughters of mothers with AUD had elevated rates of AUD themselves, two other reports showed evidence for opposite-sex transmission of problems [18, 19]. Finally, at least four studies did not find significant effects of parental or offspring sex when examining internalizing symptoms, general maladjustment, alcohol use, and alcohol problems [1, 12, 20, 21]. Thus, the question of whether maternal vs. paternal AUD differentially affects sons vs. daughters remains largely unclear.…”

Parietal P3 and midfrontal theta prospectively predict the development of adolescent alcohol use

“…At each assessment, individuals reported on lifetime and past 12-month substance use using a computerized substance use inventory (McGue et al ., 2014; Saunders et al ., 2017) administered in a private room. Age-11 and age-14 measures were aggregated to measure cumulative use/initiation by age-14.…”

The Effects of Mothers' Protective Parenting and Alcohol Use on Emerging Adults' Alcohol Use: Testing Indirect Effects Through Prototype Favorability Among African American Youth

“…Within the family environment, parental modeling of alcohol use is also a strong predictor of their offspring's alcohol use during both adolescence (Alati et al, 2014; Latendresse et al, 2008) and emerging adulthood (Casswell et al, 2002; Merline et al, 2008; Saunders et al, 2016). Notwithstanding the dramatic increased rates of alcohol use cited above (Grant et al, 2017), African American youth, on average, may be more likely to be exposed to abstinence models and norms than their non-African American peers (Zapolski et al, 2014).…”