Alcohol consumption is very common in the United States, with 70% of adults reporting alcohol use within the past month. Excessive alcohol use does carry some risk as it is the fifth highest cause of premature death, health decline, and disability. Adolescence to early adulthood is often a time of experimentation for many individuals which can shape and solidify health habits including alcohol consumption. One’s social and environmental surroundings, as well as their own personal attributes, can also impact substance use. This study examines longitudinal trajectories of alcohol consumption in early adulthood and its impact on later health behaviors, education, and work outcomes.  

The study’s sample consisted of 1,622 individuals who were part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. Participants were first interviewed in 1997 at ages 12-18 . They were then interviewed annually from 1997-2011 and biennially thereafter. Participants were asked a series of survey questions to assess alcohol consumption behavior, cigarette, cannabis, and other drug use, physical and mental health, education, and personal income. Outcomes were assessed in years 2007 (1 year post trajectory), 2010 (4 years post trajectory), and 2015 (9 years post trajectory). Drinking trajectories were identified using the Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) Proc Traj procedure. Data was analyzed using multinomial and linear regression models to examine the relationship between drinking trajectory membership and later outcomes and behaviors.  

Results of the data analysis identified six drinking trajectories during age 18-25 (abstainers, moderate increasers, light experimenters, heavy experimenters, escalators, and heavy users). At years 1, 4 and 9 post trajectory, trajectory class was significantly associated with binge drinking, smoking, cannabis use, and illicit drug use. There was little relationship between trajectory group and general health and no apparent relationship for mental health. Income was greater for escalators and heavy experimenters compared to abstainers in all years. On average, escalators completed higher levels of education compared to abstainers during all 3 years. Heavy experimenters obtained higher levels of education compared to abstainers at 1 and 4 years post trajectory.  

Takeaway: Drinking behaviors formed during adolescents may provide predictive value in assessing drinking behaviors, health, education, and work outcomes in later adulthood.  

Schulte, R, and Li, K. Longitudinal associations of emerging adults’ drinking trajectories with their behavior, health, education and work outcomes 1, 4, and 9 years later. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2022; 232:109328. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109328