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Background: Despite substantial declines in underage drinking and binge drinking, alcohol consumption has increased in the past 30 years. This study examined how beverage‐specific drinking patterns varied by sex, age, and race and ethnicity from 1979 to 2020. Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted on pooled data from the National Alcohol Survey series from 1979 to 2020 of a sample of U.S. adults ages 18 years or older. Total and beverage‐specific volume were calculated from graduated frequency questions on reported beverage type, which included beer, wine, and spirits. Sex‐stratified analyses focused on descriptive trends of each alcohol measure over time and by age and race and ethnicity. Time‐varying effect models were also conducted to identify subgroups at higher risk for increased consumption over time. Results: Women's drinking increased, with alcohol volume rising substantially from 2000 to 2020; the largest increase was among women 30 and older. Men's alcohol volume also rose over this period but remained below the levels of 1979 and 1984, with older adults increasing their consumption those 18–29 decreased their drinking. Beverage‐specific trends showed some similarities by gender: in 2020, wine volume was at its highest level for both women and men, while spirits volume also was at its highest level for men and in women was tied with the 1979 peak in spirits consumption. Increases were also found among Black men and women and Latina women from 2000 to 2020. Conclusions: Given the increases in alcohol volume, particularly among women and older age groups, alcohol policy, interventions, and education should consider ways to reduce harms associated with alcohol use among these groups. Continued monitoring of beverage‐specific drinking patterns is needed to track policy‐relevant changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drinking patterns among young adult men and women in the United States have been understudied, especially among racial and ethnic groups such as Asian Americans and Hispanics. Because alcohol‐related racial and ethnic health disparities persist or increase in midlife, identifying peak ages of hazardous drinking could help to reduce disparities. Methods: We used the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to examine: (1) past 12‐month heavy episodic drinking (HED) and total alcohol volume consumption among non‐Hispanic White (NHW), Black, Hispanic, and Asian men and women from ages 12 through 41, and (2) age‐varying associations of race and ethnicity with drinking. Hispanic and Asian ethnic groups were disaggregated by historical drinking patterns. Time‐varying effect models accounted for major demographic confounders. Results: NHW men and women experienced elevated drinking rates in their early 20s, with a second elevation in their 30s. Black men and women did not have elevated drinking until their 30s. Among Hispanic men and women, peak drinking periods varied by gender and subgroup drinking pattern. Peak HED and total consumption emerged in the early 30s for Asian men, while peak HED occurred in the early 20s for Asian women. Drinking at certain ages for some racial and ethnic minoritized men and women did not differ from that in their NHW counterparts. Conclusions: Age periods during which subgroups in the U.S. population experience elevated alcohol consumption vary by ethnicity and gender. Recognition of these group differences could enhance our understanding of intervention timing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clustering of Big Four contributors to morbidity and mortality-alcohol misuse, smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity-may further elevate chronic health risk, but there is limited information about their specific combinations and associated health risks for racial/ethnic minority groups. We aimed to examine patterns of clustering in risk behaviors for White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian American adults and their associations with diabetes and hypertension. As these behaviors may be socioeconomically-patterned, we also examined associations between clustering and socioeconomic status (SES).Methods: Latent class analyses and multinomial and logistic regressions were conducted using a nationally-representative sample of United States (US) adults ages 40-70 (N = 35,322) from Waves 2 (2004-2005) and 3 (2012-2013) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Obesity was used as a proxy for unhealthy diet. The outcomes were diabetes and hypertension.Results: A relatively-healthy-lifestyle class was found only among White adults. Common patterns of unhealthy clustering were found across groups with some variations: the obese-inactive class among White, Black, and Hispanic adults (and the inactive class among Asian adults); the obese-inactive-smoking class among White, Black, and Hispanic adults; the smoking-risky-drinking class among White and Hispanic adults; and the smoking-risky-drinking-inactive class among Black and Asian adults. Positive associations of unhealthier clustering (having a greater number of risk behaviors) with lower SES (i.e., family income and education) and with health conditions were more consistent for Whites than for other groups. For racial minority groups, lower education than income was more consistently associated with unhealthy clusters. The associations between unhealthier clustering and diabetes and hypertension were less clear for Blacks and Asians than for Whites, with no significant association observed for Hispanics.Conclusion: Concerted efforts to address clustered risk behaviors in most US adults, particularly in racial/ethnic minority groups given the high prevalence of unhealthy clustering, are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior research shows inconsistent associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol outcomes, particularly for immigrant populations. Conventional markers of SES may not fully capture how social position affects health in these groups. Objective: We examine: (1) the associations of two alternative indicators, subjective social status (SSS) and financial hardship, with problem drinking outcomes, heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), for Asian Americans and Latinos; and (2) moderation of these relationships by educational level and nativity status. Methods: Multiple logistic regression modeling was performed using nationally-representative Asian American (n = 2,095) and Latino samples (n = 2,554) from the National Latino and Asian American Study. Age, gender, nativity, individual-level SES (income and education), unfair treatment, racial discrimination, and social support were adjusted. Results: Financial hardship was independently associated with AUD in both Asians and Latinos. Lower SSS was associated with increased AUD risk among individuals with college degrees or with US nativity in both populations. The association between financial hardship and HED was positive for US-born Latinos and foreign-born Asians, and negative for foreign-born Latinos. Conclusions: SSS and financial hardship are indicators of SES that may have particular relevance for immigrant health, independently of education and income, with SSS particularly meaningful for AUD in the more conventionally advantaged subgroups. There may be underlying processes affecting Asian and other Latino subgroups with similar socioeconomic and nativity profiles and exposing them to common risk/protective factors of AUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]