The Gender Risk–Severity Paradox for Alcohol Use Disorder From Adolescence Through Young Adulthood

Foster, Katie; Hicks, Brian M.; Durbin, C. Emily; Iacono, William G.

doi:10.1177/2167696817740453

Cited by 22 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Research suggests that, although women tend to drink less than men, a risk-severity paradox occurs wherein women suffer greater harms than men at lower levels of alcohol exposure. 50 For instance, men in the military drink more heavily than women in the military, yet women are at greater risk of DSM-IV alcohol dependence and lost productivity. 51 The number of drinks needed to feel drunk is one-third lower among women (four drinks) than men (seven drinks), probably relating to lower average body weights and less total body water in women.…”

Section: Health Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in the Epidemiology of Alcohol Use and Related Harms in the United States

White

2020

ARCR

385

218

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Over the past century, differences in alcohol use and related harms between males and females in the United States have diminished considerably. In general, males still consume more alcohol and experience and cause more alcohol-related injuries and deaths than females do, but the gaps are narrowing. Among adolescents and emerging adults, gaps in drinking have narrowed primarily because alcohol use among males has declined more than alcohol use among females. Among adults, alcohol use is increasing for women but not for men. Rates of alcohol-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths all have increased among adults during the past two decades. Consistent with the changing patterns of alcohol use, increases in these outcomes have been larger for women. Recent studies also suggest that females are more susceptible than males to alcohol-induced liver inflammation, cardiovascular disease, memory blackouts, hangovers, and certain cancers. Prevention strategies that address the increases in alcohol consumption and unique health risks for women are needed.

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Section: Health Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in the Epidemiology of Alcohol Use and Related Harms in the United States

White

2020

ARCR

385

218

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“…There is a paucity of research investigating the long-term impacts of low dose ethanol, especially in the context of reward, and this is particularly pronounced in female subjects. Women display shorter reaction times and greater cognitive performance following low to moderate alcohol consumption than men ( Taberner, 1980 ; Dufouil et al, 1997 ), and have worse health outcomes at lower doses of ethanol than men ( Foster et al, 2018 ). Thus, low dose ethanol appears to affect females differently than males, but the mechanisms underlying this are unknown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is especially important to understand how sex may impact low dose alcohol effects as women escalate from casual use to addiction more rapidly than men and may therefore be differentially susceptible to low dose ethanol effects ( Becker and Koob, 2016 ). Further, women suffer greater negative health outcomes with more rapid onset and from lower doses of alcohol than men ( Foster et al, 2018 ), so it is crucial to investigate outcomes of low dose ethanol in both sexes to understand the course of alterations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reinforcement History Dependent Effects of Low Dose Ethanol on Reward Motivation in Male and Female Mice

Bryant

Singh

Barker

2022

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are more prevalent in men than in women, though AUD diagnoses in women are growing rapidly, making an understanding of sex differences in alcohol-related behaviors increasingly important. The development of AUDs involves the transition from casual, low levels of alcohol drinking to higher, maladaptive levels. The ability of low dose alcohol to drive reward and drug seeking may differ in males and females, and this could underlie differences in susceptibility to AUD. In this study we sought to determine whether a history of chronic, low dose ethanol exposure (0.5 g/kg; i.p.) could drive sucrose reward seeking and motivation, and whether this differed between male and female mice. Adult mice were trained to lever press for a liquid sucrose reward on two reinforcement schedules: a random interval (RI) schedule and a variable ratio (VR) schedule. After training, mice were tested on each of these levers for reward motivation using a progressive ratio test. We found that a history of low dose ethanol exposure increased sucrose reward motivation in male mice, but only on the RI lever and only when exposure occurred proximal to learning. Female mice were more motivated for sucrose on the RI lever than the VR lever regardless of ethanol exposure condition. These findings indicate that training on different reinforcement schedules affects reward motivation. Further, we show that males are more susceptible to the effects of low dose ethanol on sucrose reward motivation than females. These data broaden our understanding of sex differences in reward seeking as a result of ethanol exposure.

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“…Women from both districts were more prompt to perceive the alcohol environment in terms of risk factors [49]. This may be linked to women's greater exposure to certain social and health risks associated with alcohol [50,51], or with the heightened risk of being assaulted in alcohol-related contexts [52]. Secondly, the higher degree of learning and perception development seen in women's groups could be linked to a stronger predisposition to engage in Photovoice group discussions and reflection, partly favoured by their groups' female-only make-up [53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in perceptions of the alcohol environment among participants in a Photovoice project conducted in two districts with different socio-economic status

et al. 2021

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Perceptions of the alcohol environment may influence alcohol consumption patterns. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in perceptions of the urban alcohol environment as experienced by residents of two districts with different socio-economic status after taking part in a Photovoice study. The study was conducted in Madrid, Spain, in a district with a high socio-economic status (HSES) and another district with a low socio-economic status (LSES). A Photovoice project was conducted with 26 participants divided into four groups based on sex and district. Groups met over five sessions in which they discussed photographs taken by the participants themselves on the subject of alcohol in their neighbourhood. A qualitative, descriptive and thematic analysis of participants’ discourses was performed to explore changes in their perceptions of the alcohol environment over the project sessions. Changes in perceptions of the alcohol environment were observed in all groups over the project. The process of change varied by districts’ socio-economic characteristics and gender. Greater changes in perceptions of the alcohol environment were observed in HSES, especially among women, as the participants had a much more positive initial view of their alcohol environment. In LSES, participants showed a more critical perception of the alcohol environment from the beginning of the study, and this broadened and intensified over the course of the sessions. Changes in perceptions also varied by thematic categories, including some categories that were discussed from the start (e.g. socialising and alcohol consumption) and categories that only emerged in later sessions (e.g. alcohol advertising). Involvement in a Photovoice project has favoured a shift in the participant’s perceptions of their alcohol environment towards more critical positions, widening their scope of perceived elements and raising their awareness of specific problems, such as alcohol advertising and social role of alcohol consumption in relation to alcohol exposure.

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The Gender Risk–Severity Paradox for Alcohol Use Disorder From Adolescence Through Young Adulthood

Cited by 22 publications

References 66 publications

Gender Differences in the Epidemiology of Alcohol Use and Related Harms in the United States

Gender Differences in the Epidemiology of Alcohol Use and Related Harms in the United States

Reinforcement History Dependent Effects of Low Dose Ethanol on Reward Motivation in Male and Female Mice

Changes in perceptions of the alcohol environment among participants in a Photovoice project conducted in two districts with different socio-economic status

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