stronger effect of parental AUD on female offspring is inconsistent with a previous family study (Lieb et al., 2002) as well as previous Danish adoption studies which failed to identify a genetic component in women (Goodwin et al, 1973, Goodwin et al., 1977, Goodwin et al, 1974). This inconsistency may largely be attributable to the low prevalence of alcoholism among Danish women in this historical timeframe which severely limited the statistical power in the well-known adoption studies. Thus, it is possible that previous studies underestimated the contribution of genetic inheritance of alcoholism risk in females. The drinking habits of Danish women have changed dramatically during the three decades since the adoption studies were conducted. Thus, it may now be assumed that most Danish women are frequently exposed to alcohol, and since environmental exposure is more uniform, genetic liability may be more evident.
