Alcohol, women, and the young: the same old problem?

Alcohol-related problems in New Zealand women

As total alcohol consumption has increased this half century in most developed countries, alcohol-related problems have become more frequent. Most research has either studied only men or failed to mention gender. This study examined the prevalence of alcohol problems and their socio-demographic associations in a random sample of New Zealand women. Women of younger age, who were unmarried, well educated, in employment, with child care support and who lived in rural communities saw themselves as having more problems with alcohol. Women who had experienced physical or sexual abuse as adults had increased rates of alcohol problems as did those with more psychiatric morbidity as assessed by the General Health Questionnaire and the short Present State Examination. However, women with multiple social roles, particularly caring responsibilities, were less likely than women with one or two social roles to view themselves as having alcohol problems. The data provided no support for the role strain hypothesis of alcohol abuse. It is argued that the findings support a social explanation for alcohol problems based on varying social sanctions on drinking and alcohol availability rather than a psychoanalytic one of unconscious conflicts over femininity, sexuality or female social roles.

Genetic and marital status in alcohol dependent women

In a gender/age-matched sample of 518 Australian-born alcoholics, the inheritance of alcohol dependence appeared to be mediated by a sex-limited gene in female subjects. These inherited factors sometimes coexisted with other potential risk factors for the development of alcoholism, but their relevance is uncertain. These factors and the influence of partner selection on the expression of alcoholism in females is tentatively suggested and require further exploration.

A pilot study of alcohol drinkers in Ahwaz, Iran

The psychosocial aspects of 150 alcoholic drinkers (26 females and 124 males) were studied. They were from Ahwaz, the capital of Kuzestan Province, in southwest Iran. The alcohol drinkers were from nearly every walk of life but were not representative of the upper social class. The majority of the males were long-distance lorry drivers and the majority of the women were prostitutes. The great majority were Moslems. A few women had started to drink just to help their husbands stop drinking. The majority had an alcoholic father or mother. None was suffering from gross mental illness, but several had a family history of mental illness.