Evidence for a closing gender gap in alcohol use, abuse, and dependence in the United States population.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey analysis of retrospective birth cohorts
PubMed 17980512 · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.08.017
What was done
Researchers analyzed data from 42,693 US adults aged <90 who completed face-to-face interviews in the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Participants were stratified into four birth cohorts: 1913-1932, 1933-1949, 1950-1967, and 1968-1984. The study tested interactions between birth cohort and gender across four outcomes measured with the AUDADIS-IV: lifetime largest drinks, frequent binge drinking, DSM-IV alcohol abuse, and DSM-IV alcohol dependence.
What was found
Statistically significant birth cohort-by-gender interactions were present for all outcomes: lifetime largest drinks (F=27.6, d.f.=3, p<0.0001), frequent binge drinking (F=40.0, d.f.=3, p<0.0001), alcohol abuse (F=62.0, d.f.=3, p<0.0001), and alcohol dependence (F=15.3, d.f.=3, p<0.0001). Cohort-specific odds ratios showed monotonic decreases in the gender ratio in more recent birth cohorts for all four outcomes (exact odds ratios were not reported in the abstract).
Why it matters
This study provides statistical evidence from a nationally representative sample that historical male-female differences in alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and alcohol use disorders have progressively narrowed in younger generations.
Limits
Data come from a single cross-sectional survey relying on retrospective self-report, introducing potential recall bias and survival bias in older cohorts. The design cannot completely disentangle cohort effects from age and period effects. Specific numerical odds ratios and prevalence rates were not provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports The gender ratio for alcohol use disorder is approximately 60% male to 40% female.