Trajectories of Alcohol Use Problems based on Early Adolescent Alcohol Use: Findings from a 35 Year Population Cohort
Research article
Abstract
Background
Early exposure to alcohol in adolescence is associated with a range of long term harms. Better understanding of trajectories of alcohol use from adolescence to early adulthood would help target prevention strategies to high risk groups.
Methods
Christchurch (New Zealand) general population birth cohort (n = 1265). A latent trajectory model of drinking [alcohol use] behaviour at age 14–16 was used to predict alcohol use outcomes at age 18–35, net of covariate factors known to be associated with substance use outcomes in this cohort.
Results
Three classes of adolescent alcohol use were identified. These were: occasional drinkers [alcohol users], emergent binge drinkers [alcohol users] and increasing heavy drinkers [alcohol users].
Conclusions
This analysis identifies three groups of adolescent alcohol users with differing patterns of use. Emergent binge drinkers [alcohol users] likely require public policy responses to alcohol use whereas increasing heavy drinkers [alcohol users] are potentially able to be identified individually on the basis of patterns of alcohol use and social variables. This group may benefit from psychosocial interventions and are unlikely to respond to a broad public health approach.
