The natural history of risky drinking and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood: findings from the Australian Temperament Project

Abstract

Continued patterns of risky alcohol use and related harms are apparent for both males and females across the twenties.

The experience of physiological and psychosocial alcohol‐related harms across adolescence and its association with alcohol use disorder in early adulthood: A prospective cohort study

“…This finding is likely explained by increases in alcohol consumption between these two timepoints due to the legal age of purchase and drinking at a licensed venue being 18 years of age in Australia (Australian Government Department of Health, 2019). Expanding on existing frameworks of alcohol‐related harm (Rehm, 2001; Zinberg, 1986) and the patterns of harm reported by Betts et al (2018), we also found that adolescents had heterogeneous patterns of experiencing harms across those that only affect the individual verses those that have interpersonal effects. Most of the cohort were represented across five patterns of alcohol‐related harms transition.…”

“…Results of the multivariable multinomial logistic regression model are presented in Table 3 (see Supplemental Information Appendix for bivariate models). Late escalation to physiological harm was chosen as the reference class as it most closely reflects the Australian population in age of alcohol initiation (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 2020) and experience of harms (Betts et al, 2018). Female sex was associated with increased risk of experiencing early escalation to physiological harms (RR: 2.15; 99.5% CI: 1.19, 3.90) but was not associated with other transition patterns.…”

“…To date, there has been limited research examining trajectories of alcohol‐related harms. Betts et al (2018) found heterogeneous patterns of experiencing harms from late adolescence to adulthood in an Australian population cohort, identifying one group characterized by early onset of harms increasing until adulthood, and another group characterized by a lack of harm despite rapid escalation in binge drinking. As patterns in alcohol use do not necessarily translate to patterns of alcohol‐related harm, this highlights the need to examine patterns of harm as an indicator of health risk separate to alcohol use.…”

“…(see Supplemental Information Appendix K for bivariate models). Late escalation to physiological harm was chosen as the reference class as it most closely reflects the Australian population in age of alcohol initiation (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 2020) and experience of harms(Betts et al, 2018).Female sex was associated with increased risk of experiencing early escalation to physiological harms (RR: 2.15; 99.5% CI: 1.19, 3.90) but was not associated with other transition patterns. Peer substance use was associated with increased risk of experiencing early escalation to physiological harms (RR: 1.19; 99.5% CI: 1.03, 1.38) and gradual escalation to all harms (RR: 1.23; 99.5% CI: 1.06, 1.44) but not with minimal harms nor late escalation to all harms.…”