Binge Drinking in Young Adulthood: The Influence of Age at First Intercourse and Rate of Sex Partner Accumulation

There has been growing attention to the influence of youths' sexual experiences on alcohol use and other health-risk behaviors. Yet, because of the cross-sectional nature of many studies, as well as the likelihood of alcohol use and sexual behaviors to co-occur, the question of whether initiation of sexual activity tends to precede engagement in other behaviors, like binge drinking, remains largely unanswered.

Using data from 4726 respondents who participated in Waves I through IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we examined the association between age at first intercourse and frequent binge drinking during one's mid-twenties and early thirties. We further explored whether this relationship was mediated or moderated by the rate at which individuals accumulated sex partners during the transition to adulthood. 

• Findings showed for women and men, later ages at first intercourse were associated with lower odds of frequent binge drinking in young adulthood. 
• While rate of sex partner accumulation partially mediated this association, it did not moderate it. 
• Furthermore, rate of partner accumulation was positively associated with binge drinking, particularly among women, with a quicker accumulation of sex partners associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in frequent binge drinking. 

Our findings underscore the importance of considering multiple dimensions of a single behavior and their relation to subsequent health-related behaviors.

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By:  Holway GV1, Tillman KH2, Brewster KL2.

• 1Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd Street, Stop G1800, Austin, TX, 78712-1699, USA
• 2Center for Demography and Population Health, Department of Sociology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.

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