Mulia Nina, Zemore Sarah E, Murphy Ryan, Liu HuiGuo, Catalano Ralph
Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, California.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 Apr;38(4):1026-34. doi: 10.1111/acer.12301. Epub 2013 Nov 20.
There is some evidence that individual-level job loss can lead to greater alcohol consumption and problems. While other forms of economic loss were common during the recent recession, these are rarely investigated in studies of macroeconomic decline. This study examined the relationship between types of economic loss in the 2008 to 2009 recession and alcohol outcomes, and whether this varied by gender and age.
Data are from the 2009 to 2010 U.S. National Alcohol Survey (N = 5,382). We used multivariable regression to estimate associations between economic loss and alcohol volume, monthly drunkenness, negative drinking consequences, and alcohol dependence in the overall sample and within gender and age groups (18 to 29, 30 to 49, 50+), controlling for demographic and alcohol history covariates.
In the overall sample, severe economic loss (job or housing loss) was positively associated with negative drinking consequences, alcohol dependence, and (marginally) drunkenness, whereas moderate loss (loss of retirement savings, reduced work hours/wages, or trouble paying the rent/mortgage) was unassociated with alcohol outcomes. Important gender and age differences were observed. Women reporting retirement loss, reduced hours/wages, and job loss consumed 41 to 70% more alcohol than women unaffected by the recession, and men who experienced job loss and housing problems had increased risk for drunkenness, drinking consequences, and dependence. Middle-aged Americans affected by partial or complete job loss and housing problems also had greater risk of drunkenness and alcohol-related problems, and older adults who lost retirement savings drank 42% more alcohol than their peers unaffected by the recession. With the exception of negative drinking consequences, young adult alcohol outcomes were largely unrelated to recessionary loss.
This study highlights the adverse effects of recession-induced economic losses on alcohol use and problems in demographic subgroups. As men and middle-aged Americans were at risk for multiple, adverse alcohol outcomes, these groups may warrant special alcohol screening and intervention efforts in future macroeconomic crises.
有证据表明个人层面的失业会导致饮酒量增加及相关问题。虽然在近期经济衰退期间其他形式的经济损失也很常见，但在宏观经济衰退研究中很少对其进行调查。本研究探讨了2008年至2009年经济衰退期间不同类型的经济损失与饮酒结果之间的关系，以及这种关系是否因性别和年龄而异。
数据来自2009年至2010年美国全国酒精调查（N = 5382）。我们使用多变量回归来估计经济损失与饮酒量、每月醉酒情况、负面饮酒后果以及酒精依赖之间的关联，总体样本以及按性别和年龄组（18至29岁、30至49岁、50岁及以上）进行分析，并控制人口统计学和饮酒史协变量。
在总体样本中，严重经济损失（失业或失去住房）与负面饮酒后果、酒精依赖以及（勉强算得上）醉酒呈正相关关系，而中度损失（退休储蓄损失、工作时长/工资减少或支付房租/房贷困难）与饮酒结果无关。观察到了重要的性别和年龄差异。报告退休储蓄损失、工作时长/工资减少以及失业的女性比未受经济衰退影响的女性饮酒量多41%至70%，经历失业和住房问题的男性醉酒、饮酒后果及酒精依赖风险增加。受部分或完全失业以及住房问题影响的美国中年人醉酒及与酒精相关问题的风险也更高，失去退休储蓄的老年人比未受经济衰退影响的同龄人饮酒量多42%。除负面饮酒后果外，年轻成年人的饮酒结果在很大程度上与经济衰退损失无关。
本研究强调了经济衰退导致的经济损失对不同人口亚组饮酒行为及相关问题的不利影响。由于男性和美国中年人面临多种不良饮酒后果的风险，在未来宏观经济危机中，这些群体可能需要特别的酒精筛查和干预措施。
