title: Economic stressors and alcohol-related outcomes: exploring gender differences in the mediating role of somatic complaints.
abstract: This study examined processes linking economic stressors, somatic complaints, and two alcohol-related outcomes (past-month drinking and problematic drinking). Structural equation models of data from a national survey revealed that somatic complaints partly explain the association between economic stressors and problematic drinking. The associations of both economic stressors and somatic complaints with problematic drinking were significantly greater for men than women. However, the association between economic stressors and somatic complaints was greater for women. These findings clarify the circumstances in which gender matters most for the associations among economy-related stressors, somatic complaints, and drinking. They highlight the significance of difficult economic circumstances for physical health and, in turn, problematic drinking-particularly among men.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sociology , DePaul University , Chicago , Illinois , USA.
authors.forename: Robyn Lewis
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Richman
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Rospenda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D057172:Economic Recession; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Economic stressors; gender; problematic drinking; somatic complaints