At-risk drinking in employed men and women.
BACKGROUND
"At-risk" drinking is associated with a variety of negative health and social consequences. However, little is known about the characteristics of at-risk drinkers or of changes in at-risk status over time.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to examine the correlates of at-risk drinking and the prospective predictors of maintenance or change in at-risk status.


METHODS
Participants were 4,322 employed individuals assessed at baseline and 4 years later. At-risk drinking was defined as 2 or more drinks per day for men and 1 or more drinks per day for women.


RESULTS
The baseline prevalence of at-risk drinking was 11%. Four percent of baseline not-at-risk individuals transitioned to at-risk drinking at follow-up, and 54% of the baseline at-risk individuals remained at-risk at follow-up. Several demographic-, work-, and tobacco-related variables differentiated at-risk groups and were prospective predictors of change in at-risk drinking status among those individuals who were not at risk at baseline. However, none of the constructs predicted change among at-risk drinkers.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that at-risk drinking is of public health concern. Eleven percent of the participants met criteria for at-risk drinking. Further, at-risk and not-at-risk drinkers differed on numerous characteristics, and their drinking may be influenced by different factors.
Mazas
Carlos A
CA
Department of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 77230-1439, USA. cmazas@mdanderson.org
Cofta-Woerpel
Ludmila
L
Daza
Patricia
P
Fouladi
Rachel T
RT
Vidrine
Jennifer Irvin
JI
Cinciripini
Paul M
PM
Gritz
Ellen R
ER
Wetter
David W
DW
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003710:Demography; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors