Among younger individuals, such as college students, weekly or daily consumption of energy drinks (highly caffeinated beverages) has been strongly associated with alcohol dependence. This group is an important target population for alcohol-use disorder prevention.
Alcoholism is at least twice as prevalent in men as it is in women. In the US National Comorbidity Survey, it was 2.5 times more prevalent in men than in women. Although more common in males, females often develop a more serious and detrimental form of alcoholism. According to the survey, the lifetime prevalence was 20% in men and 8% in women. For alcohol abuse or dependence in the past year, the rates were 10% for men and 4% for women.
The prevalence of alcoholism declines with increasing age. The prevalence in elderly populations is unclear but is probably approximately 3%.
The two largest studies, the US National Comorbidity Survey and the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Survey, both showed a lower prevalence of alcoholism in black Americans than in white Americans. The prevalence was equal or higher in Hispanic Americans compared with white Americans.
For more on the background of alcoholism, read here.
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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Stephen Soreff. Fast Five Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Alcoholism? - Medscape - Jan 26, 2017.
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