摘要：Objectives. We assessed the relationship between alcohol consumption in young adulthood (ages 18–30 years) and occupational success 15 years later among Blacks and Whites. Methods. We analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study on employment status and occupational prestige at year 15 from baseline. The primary predictor was weekly alcohol use at baseline, after stratification by race and adjustment for socioeconomic factors. Results. We detected racial differences in the relationship between alcohol use in early adulthood and employment status at midlife. Blacks who were very heavy drinkers at baseline were more than 4 times as likely as Blacks who were occasional drinkers to be unemployed at year 15 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.22, 8.47). We found no statistically significant relationship among Whites. Occupational prestige at midlife was negatively related to very heavy drinking, but after adjustment for marital status, active coping, life stress, and educational attainment, this relationship was statistically significant only among Blacks. Conclusions. Heavy drinking during young adulthood was negatively associated with labor market success at midlife, especially among Blacks. Patterns of heavy drinking during early adulthood are well known. 1 – 4 Efforts to curb such drinking on college campuses reflect concerns that such drinking may lead to personal harm in the short run 5 and impaired functioning later in life. 6 Particular population subgroups may be especially vulnerable to long-term adverse effects from high levels of alcohol use in early adulthood. For example, although Blacks consume less alcohol than do Whites in general, 7 high levels of alcohol consumption in early adulthood are associated with reduced odds of employment in a profession 10 years later. 8 Costanzo et al. reported that among individuals with high stress or negative-affect levels, high levels of alcohol consumption during youth persist into later adulthood, especially among Blacks. 9 We addressed 4 questions regarding this issue. First, to what extent is heavy alcohol consumption in early adulthood associated with lower employment rates and lower occupational prestige in midlife? Second, do such relationships differ by race? Third, are observed racial differences in labor market outcomes attenuated by adjustment for psychosocial factors such as exposure to stress? Fourth, for persons enrolled in college, does heavy alcohol consumption reduce rates of college completion?
