Sensitive Periods for Adolescent Alcohol Use Initiation: Predicting the Lifetime Occurrence and Chronicity of Alcohol Problems in Adulthood

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: This study examined the association between age at alcohol use onset and adult alcohol misuse and dependence by testing the sensitive-period hypothesis that early adolescence (11-14) is a vulnerable period of development during which initiating alcohol use is particularly harmful. Method: Data came from a longitudinal panel of 808 participants recruited in 1981. Participants were followed through age 33 in 2008 with 92% retention. Results: Onset of alcohol use before age 11 (late childhood), when compared with initiation during early adolescence, was related to an increased chronicity of adult alcohol dependence, even after accounting for sociodemographic controls and other substance use in adolescence. The present study fi nds no evidence that early adolescence is a particularly sensitive period for the onset of alcohol use. Findings related to the onset of regular alcohol use and the chronicity of alcohol dependence suggest that the onset of regular drinking before age 21 is problematic, but no one adolescent period is more sensitive than others. Specifi cally, although all age groups that started drinking regularly before age 21 had a greater rate of alcohol dependence in adulthood, initiation of regular use of alcohol at or before age 14 was not related to greater chronicity of alcohol dependence than the initiation of regular use of alcohol in middle or late adolescence. Conclusions:The fi ndings suggest the importance of delaying the onset of alcohol use through prevention efforts as early as the elementary grades. In addition, prevention efforts should focus on preventing the onset of regular drinking before age 21. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72,

Examining Explanatory Mechanisms of the Effects of Early Alcohol Use on Young Adult Alcohol Dependence

“…Furthermore, as Donovan et al (2004) concluded in the proceedings of the 2003 symposium of the Research Society on Alcoholism, there is a dearth of studies focusing on alcohol use among elementary students, or the "really underage" drinkers. Importantly, using prospective, longitudinal data, Guttmannova et al (2011) found that very early onset of alcohol use (before age 11), when compared with initiation during early, mid-, and late adolescence, was related to an increased chronicity of alcohol dependence in young adulthood. Although these studies have documented the link between early alcohol use and adult alcohol use disorder, the mechanisms linking the two are not well understood.…”

“…Using the same sample, the present study expands on the fi ndings of Guttmannova et al (2011) and examines potential factors that may account for the link between pre-adolescent onset of alcohol use and increased chronicity of alcohol dependence in adulthood. Specifi cally, this study examined the following three competing hypotheses: (1) a marker hypothesis, (2) a compromised adolescent functioning hypothesis, and (3) an increased substance use hypothesis.…”

The usefulness of ‘age at first drink’ as a concept in alcohol research and prevention

“…Rather than being a fatal weakness, the replication of those relations using a variety of terms suggests a robust association, which has been found in cross-sectional surveys [4][5][6], in some [7][8][9][10][11] but not all [12] longitudinal studies and studies that control for genetics [13], such as studies of identical twins [14].…”

Issues in the Timing of Integrated Early Interventions: Contributions from Nutrition, Neuroscience, and Psychological Research

“…126 Social-emotional development Meta-analytic findings involving previously institutionalized adopted infants document the latter half of the first year as a sensitive period for promoting attachment security. 113,127 Findings suggest that the early years of life are a particularly salient time period for preventative interventions to reduce negative emotionality and behavioral problems or promote self-regulation or pro-social behaviors 128,129 Adverse long-term consequences associated with exposure in childhood or adolescence to developmental risks such as: Societal violence; 149 ; Alcohol; 150 Culturally based socialization for aggressive behavior; 151 Positive consequences associated with exposure in childhood or adolescence to positive developmental influences such as: Social support, which facilitates children's resilience after occurrence of a major natural disaster; 152 Community acceptance, which supports the adjustment of former child soldiers; 153 Treatment programs for abused children; 154 Programs to increase child pro-social behavior and reduce aggression; 155 School based programs to promote better inhibitory control; 144 Drug prevention programs 156 Programs for reducing the impact of parental divorce on offspring. 157 Cognitive/academic competence.…”