Department of Psychiatry , University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 Jan;38(1):275-84. doi: 10.1111/acer.12228. Epub 2013 Aug 9.
Available evidence suggests women may be more vulnerable to the effects of chronic alcohol consumption than men. The few investigations of gender differences in treatment-seeking populations have often involved study samples restricted by selection criteria (e.g., age, education). The current study examined gender differences in a heterogeneous sample of individuals seeking treatment for a substance use disorder. We examined alcohol drinking levels, age at drinking milestones (e.g., first drink, first intoxication), and progression from milestones to alcohol problems or treatment. Additionally, family history, spousal alcoholism, and nicotine use were analyzed.
Participants included men (n = 274) and women (n = 257) in substance abuse treatment facilities. Participants completed inventories quantifying affect, intellectual ability, and drinking consequences. A family tree for substance use and personal histories for alcohol and nicotine use, including chronicity, frequency, and regularity, were collected.
Telescoping was not observed when progression from drinking milestones to alcoholism or alcohol problems was compared between men and women. In contrast, when considered as progression to treatment, marked telescoping effects were detected, with women entering treatment more rapidly by approximately 4 years. Familial differences included a greater proportion of women reporting alcoholic parents (73% women; 61% men) and alcoholic spouses (58% women; 38% men). Smoking behaviors were similar between genders; however, men reporting higher levels of alcohol consumption reported greater intensity of chronic smoking. Smoking and drinking behaviors were correlated among men, but not women. Rates of pretreatment drug problems were equivalent between genders.
When contrasted with the available literature, our data were only partially supportive of gender-contingent telescoping. While women did not experience alcohol problems or alcoholism earlier than men, they progressed to treatment more quickly. These results highlight the importance of carefully considering the sample and specific outcome variables when interpreting gender differences.
现有证据表明，女性可能比男性更容易受到慢性酒精消费的影响。少数针对寻求治疗的人群中性别差异的调查研究通常涉及受选择标准限制的研究样本（例如，年龄、教育）。本研究在寻求物质使用障碍治疗的异质样本中检查了性别差异。我们检查了饮酒水平、饮酒里程碑（例如第一口酒、第一次醉酒）的年龄以及从里程碑到酒精问题或治疗的进展。此外，还分析了家族史、配偶酗酒和尼古丁使用情况。
参与者包括男性（n=274）和女性（n=257）在物质滥用治疗设施中。参与者完成了定量评估情感、智力能力和饮酒后果的问卷。收集了用于物质使用的家族树以及酒精和尼古丁使用的个人历史，包括慢性、频率和规律性。
当将从饮酒里程碑到酗酒或酒精问题的进展在男性和女性之间进行比较时，没有观察到望远镜效应。相比之下，当被认为是进展到治疗时，检测到明显的望远镜效应，女性进入治疗的速度大约快了 4 年。家族差异包括更多的女性报告有酗酒的父母（73%的女性；61%的男性）和酗酒的配偶（58%的女性；38%的男性）。吸烟行为在性别之间相似；然而，报告饮酒量较高的男性报告吸烟的慢性强度更高。男性的吸烟和饮酒行为之间存在相关性，但女性不存在。性别之间的治疗前药物问题发生率相等。
与现有文献相比，我们的数据仅部分支持性别相关的望远镜效应。虽然女性没有比男性更早出现酒精问题或酗酒，但她们更快地进入治疗。这些结果强调了在解释性别差异时仔细考虑样本和特定结果变量的重要性。
