Factors associated with alcohol use in young adulthood

The purpose of the study was to identify characteristics associated with higher levels of alcohol use in individuals who are between 24 and 25 years of age. Data from the 1982 and 1986 U.S. High School and Beyond longitudinal study (n = 8,875) were used to examine the relationship between the response variables, frequency, and intensity of alcohol use in 1986, and the explanatory variables which included alcohol use in 1982. Comparison of alcohol use in the two time periods revealed an increase in the percentage of respondents who consumed high levels of alcohol, while abstention from drinking remained relatively constant. Frequency of alcohol use in 1986 was related to use in 1982, gender, ethnicity, and family orientation.