TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - The natural history of risky drinking and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood: findings from the Australian Temperament Project
JO  - Psychological medicine
A1  - Betts, K. S.
A1  - Alati, R.
A1  - Baker, P.
A1  - Letcher, P.
A1  - Hutchinson, D.
A1  - Youssef, G.
A1  - Olsson, C. A.
SP  - 23
EP  - 32
VL  - 48
IS  - 1
N2  - BACKGROUND: We aimed to describe the natural history of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood in a large Australian population cohort study. <br><br>METHOD: The Australian Temperament Project consists of mothers and babies (4-8 months) recruited from Infant Welfare Centres and followed every 2 to 4 years until age 28 years. Analyses were based on data from 1156 young people (497 male; 659 female) surveyed repeatedly at ages 16, 18, 20, 24 and 28 years. We used dual processes latent class growth analysis to estimate trajectories of HED and associated harms, employing a piecewise approach to model the hypothesized rise and subsequent fall across adolescence and the late twenties, respectively. <br><br>RESULTS: We identified four sex-specific trajectories and observed little evidence of maturing-out across the twenties. In males, a normative pattern of increasing HED across the twenties with little related harm was observed (40% of the male sample). Early and late starter groups that peaked in harms at age 20 years with only minor attenuation in binging thereafter were also observed (6.1% and 35%, respectively). In females, a normative pattern of increasing, but moderate, HED with little related harm was observed (44% of the female sample). Early and late starter groups were also identified (18% and 17%, respectively); however, unlike males, the female late starter group showed a pattern of increasing HED and related harms. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Continued patterns of risky alcohol use and related harms are apparent for both males and females across the twenties.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0033-2917
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717000654
ID  - ref1
ER  -