title: Bidirectional associations between alcohol consumption and health-related quality of life amongst young and middle-aged women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence from cross-sectional studies has suggested a positive association between moderate alcohol consumption and health-related quality of life but prospective data remain scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the bidirectional relationships between alcohol consumption and health-related quality of life using a longitudinal study design.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 92 448 participants of the Nurses' Health Study II reported their alcohol consumption (in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003) and health-related quality of life (in 1993, 1997 and 2001). Using generalized estimating equations, we modelled the physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS) scores as a function of alcohol consumption 2 years earlier (n = 88 363) and vice versa (n = 84 621).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater alcohol consumption was associated with better PCS scores 2 years later in a dose-response manner up to ~1 serving daily [mean difference (β) = 0.67 ± 0.06 PCS units, for moderate versus infrequent drinkers]. After adjustment for previous PCS, a similar but attenuated pattern was observed (β = 0.33 ± 0.07). Moderate alcohol consumption was not related to MCS, whereas moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption was associated with lower MCS scores (β = -0.34 ± 0.15). Higher PCS scores were associated with greater alcohol consumption 2 years later, also after adjustment for previous alcohol consumption (β = 0.53 ± 0.05 g day(-1) ). MCS was not associated with alcohol consumption 2 years later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amongst young and middle-aged women, moderate alcohol intake was associated with a small improvement in physical health-related quality of life 2 years later and vice versa. Moderate alcohol consumption was not associated with mental health-related quality of life in either direction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.|Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.|The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, TNO, Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Schrieks
authors.affiliation: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.|Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Rimm
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.|Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Okereke
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.affiliation: The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, TNO, Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H F J
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.|Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mukamal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: alcohol drinking; alcoholic beverages; females; health; longitudinal studies; quality of life