Socioeconomic status and drinking patterns in young adults

Aims To investigate the relationship between several indicators ofsocioeconomic status and drinking patterns in young adulthood. Design Data collected in a longitudinal study of young adults was analysed usingrepeated‐measures models to examine the relationship between income, occupationalactivity and educational achievement and patterns of drinking. Setting These data were collected as part of a longitudinal study ofa birth cohort of New Zealanders. They were interviewed for themost part in a central location using a face‐to‐face methodand a computer‐assisted alcohol interview. Participants The participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Healthand Development study aged 18, 21 and 26 years. Nine hundred andsixty‐nine study members contributed to the analysis. Study membershave been found to be broadly representative of the New Zealandpopulation and cross national studies suggest findings are generalizableto other similar market economies. Measurements Three indicators of socioeconomic status were used; educationalachievement, occupational activity and income. The educational achievementindicator at age 18 had three levels that ranged from no school qualificationsto higher school qualifications. For age 21 two additional categoriesof tertiary educational achievement were included to make five categories andfor age 26 higher tertiary degrees were included in the measureto make six categories. Five categories of occupational activitywere used. Income data was also used. Two measures of alcohol consumptionwere used. These were the frequency of drinking and the typicalquantity of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion in the past year. Findings Frequency of drinking increased over these early adult yearsand the quantities consumed peaked at age 21 and decreased thereafterfor both males and females. Frequency of drinking was influencedby income with the higher income respondents drinking more oftenand this was persistent overtime. Quantity of drinking was mostinfluenced by educational achievement. The less well‐educated youngadult drank significantly more during a drinking occasion and atall ages. There was also a relationship between educational achievement andfrequency of drinking for males at age 18 and a relationship between women’soccupational activity and the quantities they consumed. Conclusions The finding that the dimensions of drinking operate differently explainsthe lack of consistency in previous research, which has investigated socioeconomicstatus and the volumes of alcohol consumed. The findings of higherquantities consumed among those of lower social status may explain someof the reduced life expectancy found among those with lower socioeconomicstatus.