title: The relation between risk-taking behavior and alcohol use in young adults is different for men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study examined the relationship of risk-taking behavior and alcohol use and the role of sex herein, while adjusting for age, depression, anxiety, stress and lifestyle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 6002 university students. They were classified as either abstinent, drinker but non-binge drinker, or binge drinker based on self-reported alcohol consumption. Risk-taking and risk assessment were evaluated with the RT-18 and depression, anxiety and stress with the DASS-21.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The odds of being a binge versus non-binge drinker increased with risk-taking as well as risk assessment for both men and women. The odds being a non-binge drinker versus abstinent were increased by risk-taking for women only. For binge drinking versus abstinence, risk-taking had a significant increasing effect for both sexes, but risk assessment was only significant in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results may assist with alcohol use prevention techniques because risk-taking behavior exerts, even when corrected for age, lifestyle, depression, anxiety, and stress levels, a solid, sex-specific independent effect on alcohol use.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: l.dehaan@uu.nl.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A C G
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Egberts
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Heerdink
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol use; Multinomial logistic regression; RT-18; Risk-taking behavior; Sex