Age of First Use, Age of Habitual Use, and Problematic Alcohol Use: A Cross-Cultural Examination among Young Adults in Seven Countries

VICTORIA O. CHENTSOVA; ADRIAN J. BRAVO; ANGELINA PILATTI; PAUTASSI R.M.; LAURA MEZQUITA; LEE HOGHART

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Springer

Año: 2023

1557-1882

Earlier age of alcohol use initiation has been consistently associated with later problematicalcohol use. However, it is unclear what aspect of early initiation is key for risk assessment and whether there are cultural differences. The present study examined relationshipsbetween Age of First Use (AFU) and Age of Habitual Use (AHU) on alcohol use behaviorsacross seven countries (USA, England, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Canada, South Africa).Participants were 5336 college students reporting past month alcohol consumption. Participants provided information, via online survey, on AFU, AHU, and current drinkingbehaviors. Results demonstrated significant direct associations between age variables andall outcomes, except for AHU to drinking frequency. Furthermore, AFU demonstratedstronger associations with drinking frequency, while AHU was more strongly associatedwith AUDIT scores and negative consequences. A moderation effect of country was additionally discovered among several regression paths. These findings suggest AHU should receive greater focus in alcohol research.