New research shows that women with college degrees are “almost twice as likely to drink daily, and they are also more likely to admit to having a drinking problem.” Francesca Borgonovi and Maria Huerta, the authors of the London School of Economics study, also found that childhood test scores predicted adult alcohol consumption: “Both males and females who achieved high-level performance in test scores administered at ages five and 10 are significantly more likely to abuse alcohol than individuals who performed poorly on those tests.” The authors suggest that cultural differences explain the trend – better-educated women may have more active social lives, may have children later in life, and may face different cultural norms of alcohol consumption. (HT: Chris Blattman) [%comments]
Alcohol 101
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I’m very skeptical. It’s based on followup data to the 1970 British Cohort Study. Long term cohort studies always have problems with attrition. And someone in a lower income bracket with a drinking problem is precisely the kind of person most likely to drop out of the study.
Someone with higher education is more likely to value studies and is more likely to stick with the program forty years later.
News sources unskeptically quoting conclusions from unreproduced studies is enough to drive one to drink.
I can see why that is true; education leads to better jobs, corporate world or whatever, which leads to more functions and various events where alcohol is present. Stressful jobs sometimes lead to drinking. Simple getting out of the house more often usually leads to drinking especially when getting together with friends or whatever.
I agree with the having kids / other major responsibilities and low income adds to this equation. If I was married with a child right now (mid-twenties), I’d less likely be out with friends or having post-work cocktails. If I didn’t have disposable income, I’d also stay at home.
What the heck, do whatever you like as long as you’re not harmful to others, generally take care of your health and keep doing your job well.
Alternate explanation that might make a funny t-shirt:
I Drink Because Everyone Around Me Is So Stupid.
possibly the pressure from society, family, friends etc causes educated people to drink more for stress relief. Or as some research has show that will power is like a muscle and can be worn out, educated people use more of their will power muscle on school, career and are then weaker to resisting substance abuse.
I attended a major public university, and there was a strong drinking culture. It was impossible to socialize without drinking. It’s possible I would have never “learned” to drink had I not gone to college.
The excess consumption of empty calories is a desperate cry for help: “I’m tired of the isolation my good looks and overachievement have caused, and I want to be more like my unattractive, slack-jawed peers.”
University taught me a little about responsible drinking, I suppose.
But I was never the girl doing shots and dancing around topless. I was more likely the one to be giving advice to friends with hangovers.
And no, drunken hollering idiots aren’t funny.
I’m pretty well educated and tested pretty well, and I drink pretty heavily. My excuse is that I do it to inflate my ego, since when I’m sober I tend to look at things from so many different perspectives that I experience information-overload paralysis.