@article{ref1,
title="Female-male differences in alcohol dependence levels: evidence on newly incident adolescent and young-adult drinkers in the United States, 2002-2014",
journal="International journal of methods in psychiatric research",
year="2018",
author="Cheng, Hui G. and Anthony, James C.",
volume="27",
number="3",
pages="e1717-e1717",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: In this study of newly incident drinkers (NIDs), we (a) investigate and calibrate measurement equivalence of 7 clinical features of an alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) across sex and age-of-onset subgroups and (b) estimate female-male differences in ADS levels soon after taking the first full drink, with focus on those with first full drink before the 24th birthday. <br><br>METHODS: The study population is 12- to 23-year-old NIDs living in the United States (n = 33,561). Calibrated for measurement equivalence, male-female differences in levels of newly incident ADS are estimated for 6 age-of-onset subgroups. <br><br>RESULTS: Measurement equivalence is achieved by dropping the &quot;difficulty cutting down&quot; item. Then, among early-adolescent-onset NID, females have higher ADS levels (for 12- to 13-year-old NID: β = .25; 95% CI [0.05, 0.45]). In contrast, when drinking onset is delayed to adulthood, males have higher ADS levels (e.g., for 18- to 19-year-old NID: β = -.27; 95% CI [-0.52, -0.02]; for 20- to 21-year-old NID: β = -.38; 95% CI [-0.65, -0.12]). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: In the United States, there is female excess in ADS levels measured soon after drinking onset in early adolescence. The traditional male excess is seen when drinking onset occurs after mid-adolescence. Evidence from other countries will be useful.<br><br>Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1049-8931",
doi="10.1002/mpr.1717",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1717"
}