Converging Patterns of Alcohol Use and Related Outcomes Among Females and Males in the United States, 2002 to 2012.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Repeated cross-sectional survey trend analysis
PubMed 26331879 · doi:10.1111/acer.12815
What was done
Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2002 to 2012 were analyzed to assess trends and sex differences among females and males aged 12 and older in the United States. Variables evaluated included lifetime abstinence, age of onset, current drinking, drinking frequency, binge drinking, driving under the influence, DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence criteria, and concurrent use of alcohol with other substances such as marijuana.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical estimates, percentages, or effect sizes. It reports that sex differences narrowed between 2002 and 2012 for current drinking, drinking days per month, past-year DSM-IV alcohol abuse, and past-year driving under the influence of alcohol. Convergence was also identified in one or more age subgroups for binge drinking prevalence, DSM-IV alcohol dependence, and mean age of onset. Divergence between sexes occurred only for combining alcohol with marijuana among young adults aged 18 to 25, which increased more in males than females.
Why it matters
These findings show a narrowing gap in alcohol consumption and associated risks between males and females in the United States, highlighting the need to adjust targeted public health prevention and screening strategies.
Limits
The abstract does not provide sample size numbers, point estimates, confidence intervals, or p-values. The cross-sectional survey design relies on self-reported behaviors subject to recall and reporting bias, and the data do not explain the mechanisms driving the observed convergence.
Cited by
- supports The gender ratio for alcohol use disorder is approximately 60% male to 40% female.