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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Chiung Chen, MA and Hsiao-ye Yi, PhD. Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System, CSR, Incorporated, 2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1000, Arlington, VA 22201, 7033125220, cchen@csrincorporated.com

Background: The majority of family history studies focus on specific family members or summary measures of family history (e.g., positive/negative, proportion of relatives). The current study uses a data mining approach to explore links between alcoholism history of various family members and the development of alcohol dependence.

Methods: Respondents who reported age at drinking onset were selected from the 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) (n=33,891). A recursive partitioning method (also known as tree-based method) was applied to measures of history of alcoholism, other substance abuse, and behavioral problems obtained for 14 types of family members, as well as family structure before age 18. The goals were to (1) identify particular types of family history that are associated most strongly with early onset of drinking and the development of alcohol dependence, and to (2) investigate their interaction with family structures before age 18.

Results: Among male drinkers, those whose fathers were alcoholics initiated drinking earliest, followed by those whose parents got divorced/stopped living together. Among female drinkers, those whose maternal grandfathers were alcoholics initiated drinking earliest, followed by those whose parents got divorced/stopped living together. For both sexes, drinkers whose fathers were alcoholics had the highest probability of developing alcohol dependence, followed by those whose parents got divorced/stopped living together.

Conclusions: Familial alcoholism is a stronger predictor of early drinking onset and alcohol dependence than family structure when growing up. This and the gender-specific associations revealed in this analysis require further research.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify which type of family history of alcoholism is most strongly associated with early onset of alcohol use and dependence.
• Assess the importance of family history of alcoholism versus family structures in contributing to early onset of alcohol use and dependence.
• Recognize that early drinking onset is a determining risk factor for developing alcohol dependence.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered