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Friday, August 17, 2012

Are the 1976-1985 birth cohorts heavier drinkers? Age-period-cohort analyses of the National Alcohol Surveys 1979-2010



To estimate age-period-cohort models predicting alcohol volume, heavy drinking and beverage-specific alcohol volume in order to evaluate whether the 1976-1985 birth cohorts drink relatively heavily.

Data from seven cross-sectional surveys of the US conducted between 1979 and 2010 were utilized in negative binomial generalized linear models of age, period and cohort effects predicting alcohol measures.

General population surveys of the US.


36,432 US adults (aged 18 or older).

Monthly number of alcohol drinks, beer, wine and spirits drinks and days drinking 5 or more drinks in the past year derived from beverage-specific graduated frequency questions.

Relative to the reference 1956-60 birth cohort, men in the 1976-1980 cohort for were found to consume more alcohol (Incidence rate ratio (IRR) =1.222: CI 1.07-1.39) and to have more 5+ days (IRR=1.365: CI 1.09-1.71) as were men in the 1980-85 cohort for volume (IRR=1.284: CI 1.10-1.50) and 5+ days (IRR=1.437: CI 1.09-1.89). For women, those in the 1980-85 cohort were found to have higher alcohol volume (IRR=1.299: CI 1.07-1.58) and more 5+ days (IRR=1.547: CI 1.01-2.36). Beverage-specific models found different age patterns of volume by beverage with a flat age pattern for both genders’ spirits and women's wine, an increasing age pattern for men's wine and a declining age pattern from the early 20's for beer.


In the United States, men born between 1976 and 1985, and women born between 1981 and 1985 have higher alcohol consumption.



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