Citation

Gauffin K, Hemmingsson T, Hjern A. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2013; 67(11): 932-938.

Affiliation

Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, , Stockholm, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/jech-2013-202624

PMID

23814272

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use is the third most important global-health risk factor and a main contributor to health inequalities. Previous research on social determinants of alcohol-related disorders has delivered inconsistent results. We aimed to investigate whether socioeconomic position (SEP) in childhood predicts alcohol-related disorders in young adulthood in a Swedish national cohort. METHODS: We studied a register-based national cohort of Swedish citizens born during 1973-1984 (N=948 518) and followed them up to 2009 from age 15. Childhood SEP was defined by a six-category socioeconomic index from the Censuses of 1985 and 1990. HRs of alcohol-related disorders, as indicated by register entries on alcohol-related death and alcohol-related medical care, were analysed in Cox regression models with adjustment for sociodemographic variables and indicators of parental morbidity and criminality. RESULTS: Low childhood SEP was associated with alcohol-related disorders later in life among both men and women in a stepwise manner. Growing up in a household with the lowest SEP was associated with risk for alcohol-related disorders of HR: 2.24 (95% CI 2.08 to 2.42) after adjustment for sociodemographic variables, compared with the highest SEP group. Adjusting the analysis for parental psychosocial problems attenuated the association to HR 1.87 (95% CI 1.73 to 2.01). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that low SEP in childhood predicts alcohol-related disorders in young adulthood. Alcohol abuse needs to be addressed in policies to bridge the gap of health inequalities.

Language: en