Chunk #35 — Explanations for Lower Alcohol Use among African Americans Compared to European Americans — Historical Perspective — Biological Vulnerability and Response to Alcohol
African Americans based on both national (the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism, or COGA: Edenberg et al., 2006) and smaller community samples (n=150; Luo et al., 2006). Studies, though smaller scale convenience samples, have shown that the ADH1B*3 allele is associated with stronger positive alcohol expectancies (Ehlers et al, 2003), more pronounced physiological effects of alcohol (McCarthy et al., 2010), and negative family history of alcohol dependence (Ehlers et al., 2001). To date, no large scale genetic study has been conducted among African Americans to directly test the hypothesis that the presence of ADH1B*3 is associated with lower consumption per occasion, reduced frequency of consumption, or less frequent membership in binge drinker or heavy drinker groups. Such tests are necessary in order to understand more fully the relationship between presence of the allele and alcohol consumption for African Americans, and thus to understand factors associated with ethnic differences in alcohol consumption between African Americans and European Americans.
