Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms Reported during Midlife: Results from the Monitoring the Future Study among US Adults at Modal Ages 50, 55, and 60.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which adolescent substance use is associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms in midlife is not yet fully explored. METHODS: Longitudinal data from the national Monitoring the Future study was used. The sample included 11,830 12th graders (1976-1987) who were surveyed again at modal ages 50 (37.8%), 55 (46.3%), or 60 (15.8%) in 2008-2019. Approximately 48.7% were male; 81.5% identified as non-Hispanic White. Weighted logistic and multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine associations between past 30-day use of cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol at age 18, sociodemographics, and a midlife AUD symptom outcome (coded as non-drinking, drinking without AUD [endorsed ≤1 criterion], or AUD symptoms [endorsed 2+ criteria]). RESULTS: Prevalence of midlife AUD symptoms was 27.1%. Higher relative risk of reporting AUD symptoms (vs. drinking without AUD) was associated with age 18 substance use (any cigarette use [vs. no use], any marijuana use [vs. no use], binge drinking [vs. both no use and drinking at less than binge levels]), being male (vs. female), being non-Hispanic White (vs. non-Hispanic Black), and having a 4-year college degree. Higher relative risk of reporting non-drinking (vs. drinking without AUD) was associated with no 30-day alcohol use at age 18, being non-Hispanic Black or non-Hispanic other (vs. non-Hispanic White), and not having a 4-year college degree. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest substance use at age 18 has meaningful associations with midlife AUD symptoms. Dissemination of prevention and intervention efforts in adolescence and early adulthood may be important for reducing hazardous midlife drinking.

Building on a Sequential Mixed-Mode Research Design in the Monitoring the Future Study.

Given the promise of the web push plus e-mail survey design for providing cost-effective and high-quality data (Patrick et al. 2018, 2019) as an alternative to a paper-and-pencil mailed survey design for the longitudinal Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, the current study sought to further enhance the web push condition. The MTF sample is based on US nationally representative samples of 12th grade students surveyed annually. The MTF control group for the current study included participants who completed the in-school baseline survey in the 12th grade and were selected to participate in their first follow-up survey in 2017 via mailed surveys (N = 1,222). A supplementary sample (N = ∼2,450) was assigned to one of the two sequential mixed-mode conditions. Those in condition 1 (N = 1,198), or mail push, were invited to complete mailed surveys and later given a web survey option. Those in condition 2 (N = 1,173), or enhanced web push, were invited to complete a web survey (the same as in the 2014 study, but with the addition of text messages and quick response (QR) codes and the web survey was optimized for mobile devices) and then later given a mailed survey option. Research aims were to examine response rates across conditions, as well as how responses were distributed across mode (paper, web), devices (computer, smartphone, table), and method of accessing the web survey (hand-entered URL, QR code, e-mail link, SMS link). Response rates differed significantly: the MTF control group was 34.2 percent, mail push was 35.4 percent, and enhanced web push was 42.05 percent. The higher response rate in the enhanced web push condition suggests that the additional strategies were effective at bringing in more respondents. Key estimates produced by the enhanced web push condition did not differ from those of the MTF control group.

Understanding the Link between Neighborhoods and Kidney Disease.

Neighborhoods are where we live, learn, work, pray, and play. Growing evidence indicates that neighborhoods are an important determinant of health. The built features of our neighborhoods, such as the ways in which the streets are designed and connected and the availability of green spaces and transit stops, as well as the social features, such as the trust among neighbors and the perceptions of safety, may influence health through multiple pathways, such as access to important resources, psychosocial stress, and health behaviors. In particular, the extant literature consistently documents an association between neighborhood features and renal-associated conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. There is also some evidence suggesting an association between neighborhood poverty and ESKD. The link between neighborhood and earlier stages of CKD, however, has been less clear, with most studies documenting no association. It may be that the neighborhood measures used in previous studies do not capture features of the neighborhood important for earlier stages of disease development and progression. It may also be that our current biomarkers (e.g., eGFR) and urine protein are not able to pick up very early forms of renal damage because of the kidney's overall high reserve capacity. This paper critically reviews the state of the literature on neighborhood and renal disease, with recommendations for neighborhood measures in future research. Neighborhoods are designed, built, and informed by policy, and thus, they are amenable to intervention, making them a potentially powerful way to improve renal health and reduce health inequalities at the population level.

Gender and age differences in the associations between family social roles and excessive alcohol use.

BACKGROUND: Familial social roles are known to have important links with both acute and chronic excessive alcohol use. However, whether and how these links vary across adulthood and by gender is not well understood and would provide insight into populations most at risk for excessive alcohol use. METHODS: This study used data from those ages 18 to 60 in the National Epidemiologic Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III survey (N=28,475). We examined the gender- and age-varying associations of current marital status (married vs. divorced/separated vs. never married) and parental status (parent vs. not) with acute (binge drinking) and chronic (exceeding weekly drinking guidelines) excessive alcohol use using time-varying effect modelling. RESULTS: Both marital and parental statuses were inversely associated with acute and chronic excessive alcohol use at most ages, however the magnitude of these associations and gender differences in these associations varied by age. There were greater differences between adults who were married vs. never married and parents vs. not in excessive alcohol use during young adulthood as compared to later adulthood. The association of parental status with acute excessive alcohol use was stronger for women compared to men in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Gender and age should be considered when examining risk and protective factors, particularly in examining the role of parenthood in acute excessive alcohol use. These findings will help target populations most at risk for chronic and acute excessive alcohol use.

Two-Year Follow-up of a Sequential Mixed-Mode Experiment in the U.S. National Monitoring the Future Study.

This study examines the two-year follow up (data collected in 2016 at modal age 21/22) of an original mixed-mode longitudinal survey experiment (data collected at modal age 19/20 in 2014). The study compares participant retention in the experimental conditions to retention in the standard Monitoring the Future (MTF) control condition (participants who completed an in-school baseline survey in 12th grade in 2012 or 2013 and were selected to participate in the first follow-up survey by mail in 2014, N=2,451). A supplementary sample who completed the 12th grade baseline survey in 2012 or 2013 but were not selected to participate in the main MTF follow-up (N=4,950) were recruited and randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: 1: Mail Push, 2: Web Push, 3: Web Push + Email in 2014 and again in 2016. Results from the first experiment indicated that Condition 3 (Web Push + Email) was promising based on similar response rates and lower costs (Patrick et al. 2018). The current study examines how experimental condition and type of 2014 response were associated with response in 2016, the extent to which response mode and device type changed from 2014 to 2016, and cumulative cost comparisons across conditions. Results indicated that responding via web in 2014 was associated with greater odds of participation again in 2016 regardless of condition; respondents tended to respond in the same mode although the "push" condition did move respondents toward web over paper; device type varied between waves; and the cumulative cost savings of Web Push + Email grew larger compared to the MTF Control. The web push strategy is therefore promising for maintaining respondent engagement while reducing cost.

Marital Status as a Partial Mediator of the Associations Between Young Adult Substance Use and Subsequent Substance Use Disorder: Application of Causal Inference Methods.

OBJECTIVE: Young adult substance use is linked with the risk of substance use disorders (SUDs) later in adulthood. Marriage may be part of this pathway because of both selection effects (early substance use reducing marriage) and socialization effects (marriage reducing later substance use and disorder). We examine whether marital status mediates the association between young adult substance use and subsequent SUDs, using causal mediation methods to strengthen inferences. METHOD: Using panel data from high school seniors in 1990-1998, we examined whether the effects of two exposures (level of alcohol/marijuana use at age 19/20) on the outcomes (alcohol use disorder [AUD]/ marijuana use disorder [MUD], nondisordered use, or abstinence at age 35) were mediated by marital status at age 29/30. Propensity score weights adjusted for potential confounding regarding both the exposures and the mediator. RESULTS: Moderate and heavy alcohol/marijuana use at age 19/20 were associated with higher odds of AUD/MUD and lower odds of abstinence, each relative to nondisordered use, at age 35. The association between heavy alcohol use at age 19/20 and subsequent AUD was partially mediated by being unmarried at age 29/30; the associations between moderate and heavy marijuana use at age 19/20 and subsequent marijuana abstinence were partially mediated by being unmarried at age 29/30. CONCLUSIONS: Both selection and socialization effects related to marriage explain the perpetuation of substance use behaviors across adulthood. Selection effects on marriage seem to occur at different thresholds for young adult alcohol and marijuana use.

Substance use behaviors and the timing of family formation during young adulthood.

The impact of substance use on the life course of young adults can be substantial, yet few studies have examined to what extent early adult substance use behaviors are related to the timing of family formation, independent of confounding factors from adolescence. Using panel data from the Monitoring the Future study (N~20,000), the current study examined the associations between three substance use behaviors (i.e., cigarette use, binge drinking, and marijuana use) and the timing of family formation events in young adulthood. Survival analysis and propensity score weighting addressed pre-existing differences between substance users and non-users in the estimation of the timing of union formation (i.e., marriage, cohabitation) and parenthood. Results for young adult substance users showed general patterns of reduced rates of marriage and parenthood, and increased cohabitation during young adulthood. Variations were evident by substance and sex.

Moving and union formation in the transition to adulthood in the United States.

Although previous research has paid attention to profound changes in union formation among young adults, few studies have incorporated moving events in the estimation of union formation. Moreover, less attention has been given to detailed moving experiences in young adults' life course. Using panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we examine the relationship between moving and first union formation of young adults in the United States. Moving events are aggregated by distance moved, economic conditions in origin and destination places (i.e. moving within the same county, moving to new counties with better or the same economic conditions, and moving to new counties with worse economic conditions) and the time since a move. Our findings suggest that moving events, regardless of type, are significantly related to first union formation for females while the time since a move is important to union formation of males.

Exiting and Returning to the Parental Home for Boomerang Kids.

Young adults commonly exit from and return to the parental home, yet few studies have examined the motivation behind these exits and returns using a life course framework. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, the authors examined associations between mental health problems and economic characteristics and exits from (n = 8,162), and returns to (n = 6,530), the parental home during the transition to adulthood. The average age of the respondents was 24 years. The authors found evidence that mental health and economic characteristics were related to home leaving and returning. Emotional distress was associated with earlier exits from, and returns to, the parental home; alcohol problems were associated with earlier returns to the parental home. The findings regarding economic resources were unexpectedly mixed. Greater economic resources were linked to delayed exits from, and earlier returns to, the parental home. The implications of these findings for young adults are discussed.