Socioeconomic and Psychosocial Exposures across the Life Course and Binge Drinking in Adulthood: Population-based Study

Abstract

Despite recognition of the health risks of binge drinking, its life-course precursors have not been widely examined. Data from the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (1984–1989) were used to investigate the association between socioeconomic and psychosocial exposures across the life course and binge drinking in a population-based sample of 2,316 middle-aged men. Binge drinking was defined as drinking at least four bottles of beer, one bottle of wine, one bottle of strong wine, or six servings of spirits on a single occasion. A composite indicator of childhood socioeconomic position was based on parental education, occupation, and number of rooms and divided into tertiles. Low childhood socioeconomic position increased the odds of binge drinking (odds ratio = 1.70, 95% confidence interval: 1.26, 2.31) when other early life exposures were adjusted. Additional adjustment of adult socioeconomic and psychosocial factors attenuated the odds of bingeing associated with low childhood socioeconomic position (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval: 0.93, 1.79). Adult socioeconomic conditions, marital status, hostility, and organizational membership were independently associated with bingeing. This study shows that both early and later life characteristics including socioeconomic conditions and adult psychosocial factors contribute to adult binge drinking in this population, but the effects of adult characteristics are stronger.