Positional Role Changes and Drinking Patterns: Results of a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This study of heavily drinking males in the general population assesses the effect of positional role changes on drinking behaviors. The data are derived from a longitudinal study over a three-year period (1992–1995) of a representative sample of 617 male heavy drinkers from the Quebec (Canada) adult population. Three types of positional roles have been examined: employment, marital, and parental status. This study examined two dimensions of the drinking pattern: the annual frequency of drinking and the annual frequency of five drinks or more on a single occasion. Standard multiple regression analyses were conducted independently for each dimension of the drinking patterns. Results indicated that baseline annual frequency and baseline annual frequency of five drinks or more per occasion were the main predictors of both drinking patterns under study. Furthermore, positional role changes contributed to explain the Δ1992–1995 annual frequency of drinking, but marginally. Men who reported a child's birth between 1992 and 1995 reduced their annual frequency of drinking, while men who reported being unemployed in 1992 and in 1995 increased their annual frequency of drinking. Further research should take into account the qualitative aspects of positional roles.