Torres Oscar V, Estep Justin C, Gwin Mary, Aramovich Nicholas P, Thomas Giovanni, Villalta Lan
Department of Behavioral Sciences, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA, United States.
Department of Social Sciences, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA, United States.
Front Psychol. 2023 Jul 31;14:1191286. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1191286. eCollection 2023.
The consumption of alcohol remains a significant health concern and represents a prevalent form of substance use worldwide. Previous research has identified sex differences in the consumption of alcohol. This study explores the relationship between drinking and the presence of distress symptoms across gender. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that presence of distress symptoms, defined as increases in anxiety and depression, would be prominent features associated with alcohol consumption among women compared to men.
A sample of undergraduate students ( = 448) participated in an online-based questionnaire (71% female; age = 22.1; 42.9% Hispanic/Latino). The questionnaire contained assessments related to demographic information and alcohol consumption over the past 30 days. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
Gender differences were observed with men consuming more alcoholic drinks than women. However, women who consumed alcohol reported having more distress symptoms relative to their male counterparts. A logistic regression revealed that this gender difference was moderated by anxiety, such that greater anxiety scores associates with whether women consumed alcohol. However, an ordinary least squares regression revealed that for men, anxiety scores significantly related to the amount of drinks consumed. Gender differences were not detected in relation to alcohol consumption and depression.
Our findings contribute to the literature by indicating that the mere presence of distress symptoms reveals distinctive gender-specific differences in relation to alcohol consumption in a non-clinical population. Identifying the distinct associations linked with alcohol use for men and women can aid in reducing drinking disparities among young adults.
酒精消费仍然是一个重大的健康问题，并且是全球普遍存在的物质使用形式。先前的研究已经确定了酒精消费中的性别差异。本研究探讨了饮酒与不同性别的困扰症状之间的关系。基于先前的研究，我们假设，困扰症状（定义为焦虑和抑郁增加）在女性中比在男性中更显著地与酒精消费相关。
一个本科生样本（n = 448）参与了一项在线问卷调查（71%为女性；年龄 = 22.1岁；42.9%为西班牙裔/拉丁裔）。问卷包含与人口统计学信息和过去30天内酒精消费相关的评估。使用医院焦虑抑郁量表评估焦虑和抑郁症状。
观察到性别差异，男性饮用的酒精饮料比女性多。然而，饮酒的女性相对于男性报告有更多的困扰症状。逻辑回归显示，这种性别差异受焦虑调节，即焦虑得分越高与女性是否饮酒相关。然而，普通最小二乘法回归显示，对于男性，焦虑得分与饮酒量显著相关。在酒精消费与抑郁方面未检测到性别差异。
我们的研究结果表明，在非临床人群中，仅仅是困扰症状的存在就揭示了与酒精消费相关的独特性别差异，这为该领域的文献做出了贡献。确定男性和女性与酒精使用相关的不同关联有助于减少年轻人中的饮酒差异。
