Dispositional Factors that Predict Alcohol Consumption in Young Adult Women

Abstract

Alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders significantly contribute to global disease burden, accounting for nearly ten percent of disability-adjusted life years globally (DALY, Whiteford et al., 2013). Alcohol use affects men and women differently, with women being more affected by the health effects of alcohol use (NIAAA, 2011). Yet, there is a dearth of information investigating alcohol use in women (SAMHSA, 2011). The present dissertation project addresses this public health disparity with a systematic review and two empirical research studies. The review (Carroll, Lustyk, & Larimer, 2015) compiles existing scientific contributions on the consumption of alcohol and its relation to the menstrual cycle in women. The first study (Carroll, Ubay, Craft, Larimer, & Lustyk, Under Review) addresses this research disparity by investigating dispositional factors that predict alcohol consumption in young adult women in a laboratory, and the second research study (Carroll & Larimer, Under Review) examines dispositional factors that predict alcohol consumption in an online survey. Overall, the results of the present dissertation project suggest that menstrual cycle phase has minimal influence on alcohol consumption.