The transition to marriage and changes in alcohol involvement among black couples and white couples

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the reduction in alcohol involvement typically associated with the transition to marriage differs for blacks, compared with whites.

Couples (n = 248, white; n = 100, black) in which both partners were entering into their first marriage were assessed at the time of marriage, their first anniversary and their second anniversary. At each wave, husbands and wives were each given an identical questionnaire packet to complete independently at home and a postage-paid envelope for packet return. A broad range of constructs was assessed, including personality characteristics, relationship functioning, drinking behaviors and social network characteristics. Alcohol involvement measures included average daily volume of consumption, frequency of heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems and alcohol dependence.

Whites decreased their frequency of heavy drinking and alcohol dependence over the early marital years, whereas blacks remained relatively stable. Alcohol problem trajectories were similar for wives of both races. White men reported a decline in alcohol problems, whereas black men reported an increase in problems over the first 2 years of marriage. Racial differences in the alcohol involvement trajectories could not be attributable to racial differences in family formation or demographic factors.

Findings suggest limited generalizability of previous research, indicating a reduction in alcohol involvement associated with the transition to marriage. Individuals who continue to drink heavily after this transition may be at an especially high risk for the subsequent development of serious alcohol and marital problems.