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CDC: Binge drinking common among high school girls, women
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One in five high school girls and one in eight women in the United States reported binge drinking, according to findings in a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Data were collected from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The BRFSS is an annual state-based survey of noninstitutionalized, civilian adults. A total of 278,243 women participated in the survey. The YRBS is a national survey of public and private high school students. A total of 7,536 ninth- to 12th-grade girls were included in the study.
The BRFSS considered binge drinking to be the consumption of four or more alcoholic beverages on an occasion in the 30 days before the survey. The YRBS considered binge drinking to be the consumption of five or more drinks in a row at least once in the 30 days before the survey was completed.
Among high school girls, 37.9% admitted to using alcohol and 19.8% said they binge drink. Hispanic (22.4%) and non-Hispanic white (21.7%) high school girls had a high prevalence of binge drinking than non-Hispanic black girls (10.3%), according to the CDC.
Binge drinking among high school girls also increased with grade. Among high school girls who reported alcohol use, 45.2% of freshman girls reported binge drinking compared with 61.7% of seniors.
“Underage girls are overexposed to alcohol marketing relative to women to an even greater extent than underage boys are overexposed to alcohol marketing relative to men, thereby increasing the risk that girls will initiate alcohol consumption and consume more alcohol when they drink,” researchers said.
Alcoholic beverages have also been developed and marketed that are known to appeal to underage girls, according to the CDC.
Results indicated that 12.5% of women reported binge drinking at least 3.2 times per month with the intensity of 5.7 drinks each time. Binge drinking was most prevalent among women aged 18 to 24 years and declined with age. Women with annual incomes more than $75,000 were more likely to binge drink (16%).
Researchers also reported that women with higher education levels were more likely to binge drink and consume more alcohol than those who did not graduate from high school.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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