Citation

Salvatore JE, Aggen SH, Kendler KS. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

DOI

10.15288/jsad.23-00033

PMID

37306369

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Much of what is known about parental divorce and adult alcohol outcomes comes from cross-sectional comparisons of those who did and did not experience parental divorce. In contrast, far less is known about whether and how parental divorce is associated with alcohol consumption trajectories. We used a longitudinal perspective to investigate the associations between parental divorce and men's alcohol consumption trajectories, and used a genetically informative approach to evaluate whether the pattern of genetic and environmental influences on these trajectories differed for men who did and did not experience parental divorce.

METHOD: The sample included 1614 adult males from a population-based twin registry in Virginia, USA. Measures of parental divorce (prior to age 16) and alcohol consumption (between ages 10-40) came from interviews and Life History Calendars. Data were analyzed with growth curve and longitudinal biometrical variance component models.

RESULTS: In total, 11% of the sample experienced parental divorce. Parental divorce was associated with higher alcohol consumption intercepts that were sustained over time but was not associated with the linear slope or quadratic curvature of men's alcohol consumption trajectories. Longitudinal biometric variance components modeling indicated that alcohol consumption, genetic predispositions in adolescence and young adulthood were higher given parental divorce.

CONCLUSIONS: Parental divorce is associated with the shape and relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on men's alcohol consumption trajectories from adolescence through adulthood.

Language: en

Keywords

alcohol consumption; biometrical variance components; parental divorce; trajectories