Risk Factors for Problematic Drinking in One’s Thirties and Forties: A Longitudinal Analysis of the 1970 British Cohort Study

Gary O’Donovan () and Mark Hamer
Additional contact information
Gary O’Donovan: Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Peñalolén, Santiago 7941169, Chile
Mark Hamer: Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Institute Sport Exercise Health, University College London, 170 Tottenham Court Road, London WC1E 6BT, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-12

Abstract: Alcohol drinking and risk factors for problematic drinking may vary across a lifespan. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for problematic drinking in men and women in their thirties and forties. Alcohol drinking and potential risk factors for problematic drinking were assessed at ages 30, 34, 42, and 46 in the 1970 British Cohort Study. Multilevel models included 10,079 observations in 3880 men and 9241 observations in 3716 women. In men, formerly smoking, currently smoking, having a degree, having malaise, and having a mother who drank while pregnant were independently associated with increased risk of problematic drinking. In women, formerly smoking, currently smoking, being physically active in one’s leisure time, having a degree, having a managerial or professional occupation, having malaise, and having a mother who drank while pregnant were independently associated with increased risk of problematic drinking. In men and women, cohabiting as a couple was associated with decreased risk of problematic drinking. This study suggests that several risk factors may be associated with problematic drinking in men and women in their thirties and forties. Policy makers should consider the role of modifiable risk factors in the prevention of problematic drinking.

Keywords: alcohol drinking; alcohol-related disorders; risk factors; cohort studies; primary prevention; secondary prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/17/10664/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/17/10664/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:17:p:10664-:d:898930

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().