Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Adolescent Heavy Drinking On The Timing And Stability Of Cohabitation And Marriage, Lela Rankin Williams, Laura Wray-Lake, Eric Loken, Jennifer L. Maggs

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Based on prospective British Cohort Study data, adolescent alcohol use predicted the timing and stability of committed partnerships between 16 and 34 years (n = 3278; 59% female). Propensity score methods balanced age 16 heavy drinkers (32.4%) and nonheavy drinkers on a range of relevant risk factors assessed in infancy and childhood. Adolescent heavy drinking predicted having ever cohabited, earlier transitions into cohabiting and marital relationships, more breakups, and an increased likelihood of divorce. Gender and social class moderated these relationships; heavy-drinking working-class males were especially likely to cohabit and to experience early entry into cohabitation and marriage. Implications …