The relationship between age at first drink and later risk behaviours during a period of youth drinking decline.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Alcohol consumption among teenagers in many high-income countries has steadily declined since the early 2000s. There has also been a steady increase in the average age at first drink, a reliable marker of later alcohol problems. This study measured whether young people who initiated drinking early were at increased risk of alcohol problems in young adulthood in recent cohorts where early initiation was comparatively rare.

Design

Analysis of six waves of a repeated cross-sectional household survey (2001-16).

Setting

Australia.

Participants

A total of 9576 young adults (aged 20-25 years) who had initiated drinking before the age of 20 years.

Measurements

Respondents were classified into three groups based on their self-reported age at first drink (< 1

SUBMITTER: Livingston M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10087810 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature