Rachel Visontay1, Louise Mewton2, Matthew Sunderland3, Katrina Prior4, Tim Slade5. 1. The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, Level 6, Jane Foss Russell Building, G02, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: rachel.visontay@sydney.edu.au. 2. Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Level 1, AGSM (G27), Gate 11, Botany Street, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: louisem@unsw.edu.au. 3. The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, Level 6, Jane Foss Russell Building, G02, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: matthew.sunderland@sydney.edu.au. 4. The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, Level 6, Jane Foss Russell Building, G02, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: katrina.prior@sydney.edu.au. 5. The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, Level 6, Jane Foss Russell Building, G02, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: tim.slade@sydney.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that young adult participation in, and volume of, alcohol consumption has decreased. However, the evidence on trends in harmful alcohol consumption in this age group is limited. The current paper aims to examine changes over time in harmful alcohol consumption using a robust, widely employed measure. METHODS: The literature was systematically searched for articles reporting on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores in young adults aged 18-24 years. The key data extracted were year of measurement and mean AUDIT score (proportion above clinical cut-off was not relevant for these analyses). Cross-temporal meta-analysis was applied to the extracted data. RESULTS: A decrease was found in young adults' AUDIT scores measured between 1989 and 2015 (b=-0.13, β=-0.38, p = 0.015, 95 % CI=-0.24, -0.03), representing a 0.63 standard deviation change over this period. Variance did not change over this time, suggesting scores decreased equally over the distribution. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that harmful alcohol consumption in young adults may have declined between 1989 and 2015. Despite the continued problems posed by dependence and short and long-term harms, these promising findings offer hope that the considerable alcohol-related disease burden in this age group may be reduced. Ongoing data collection is required to evaluate whether these declines in young adulthood persist into later life, and future research should explore the reasons for declining harmful alcohol consumption in young adults.
BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that young adult participation in, and volume of, alcohol consumption has decreased. However, the evidence on trends in harmful alcohol consumption in this age group is limited. The current paper aims to examine changes over time in harmful alcohol consumption using a robust, widely employed measure. METHODS: The literature was systematically searched for articles reporting on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores in young adults aged 18-24 years. The key data extracted were year of measurement and mean AUDIT score (proportion above clinical cut-off was not relevant for these analyses). Cross-temporal meta-analysis was applied to the extracted data. RESULTS: A decrease was found in young adults' AUDIT scores measured between 1989 and 2015 (b=-0.13, β=-0.38, p = 0.015, 95 % CI=-0.24, -0.03), representing a 0.63 standard deviation change over this period. Variance did not change over this time, suggesting scores decreased equally over the distribution. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that harmful alcohol consumption in young adults may have declined between 1989 and 2015. Despite the continued problems posed by dependence and short and long-term harms, these promising findings offer hope that the considerable alcohol-related disease burden in this age group may be reduced. Ongoing data collection is required to evaluate whether these declines in young adulthood persist into later life, and future research should explore the reasons for declining harmful alcohol consumption in young adults.