Impact of the Number of Parents With Alcoholuse Use disorder on Alcohol Use Disorder in Offspring: A Population – Based Study
Abstract
Objective: Although parental alcohol use disorder (AUD) increases risk for alcohol phoblems in offspring, no studies have evaluated the odds of alcohol use disorder in offspring based on the number of biological parents with alcohol use disorder in a population – based national sample. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the number of alcohol use disorder parents and prevalence of alcohol use disorder in offspring.
Method: This study utilized data from the 2001 -2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and related Conditions, which assessed alcohol use disorder using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule – DSM – IV Version (main outcome variable). We analyzed the sample to investigate the effect of the number of alcohol use disorder parents on lifetime alcohol use disorder in offspring. In a subgroup analysis, gender differences were examined.
Results: 22% of adults in the United States had at least 1 biological parent with alcohol use disorder. Compared with offspring of non- alcohol use disorder parents, offspring of 1 alcohol use disorder parent had a 2.5-fold increase and offspring of 2 alcohol use disorder parents had a 4.4-fold increase in the odds of lifetime alcohol use disorder. Each addition alcohol use disorder parent increased the odds of alcohol use disorder in offspring in an additive pattern. Female offspring were more vulnerable to the impact of parental alcohol use disorder than male offspring .
Conclusions: offspring of alcohol use disorder parents had heightened odds of lifetime alcohol use disorder, with an additive parental effect. Awareness of this risk can be useful for clinicians to educate individuals with alcohol use disorder parents about prevention and intervention.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a serious public health problem in the United States and worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that parental alcohol use disorder increases risk for alcohol use disorder in offspring Both genetic and environmental risk factors are associated with higher odds of alcohol use disorder in offspring. Twin studies have demonstrated that the heritability of alcohol dependence is 50%-60%.
Patients and their family members often ask clinicians about the odds and probability of developing Alcohol use disorder when their father ,mother, or both parents have alcohol problems. Studies on the number of Alcohol use disorder parents can help us further understand the relationship between parental and offspring Alcohol use disorder. This information would be valuable in providing preventive and clinical interventions. A recent Danish cohort study answered this question and reported that paternal Alcohol use disorder and maternal Alcohol use disorder increased the odds of Alcohol use disorder in offspring.