Genetic and Environmental Predictors of Alcohol Use in Asian American Young Adults.
- Authors
- Bujarski, Spencer; Lau, Anna S; Lee, Steve S; Ray, Lara A
- Year
- 2015
- Journal
- Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs
- PMID
- 26402349
- DOI
- 10.15288/jsad.2015.76.690
- PMCID
- PMC4714821
OBJECTIVE: Among Asian American young adults, variations in alcohol-metabolizing genes (i.e., aldehyde dehydrogenase [ALDH2] and alcohol dehydrogenase [ADH1B]) are protective, whereas Korean ethnicity, family history of alcohol problems (FH), and acculturation represent risk factors for alcohol misuse. This study aims to integrate these genetic and environmental factors in a sample of Asian Americans expressing a wide range of alcohol use behaviors and problems. METHOD: Participants were 97 Asian American young adults (42% female) recruited as heavy and light drinkers (n = 49 and 48, respectively). Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Timeline Followback, Vancouver Acculturation Index, and Family Tree Questionnaire. All participants provided buccal cell samples for DNA analysis. RESULTS: Family history-positive (FH+) subjects reported greater alcohol use than family history-negative (FH-) subjects. A FH × ALDH2 interaction was observed such that FH- subjects demonstrated no ALDH2 effect, yet in FH+ subjects, the ALDH2*2 genotype was associated with increased alcohol use. A significant main effect of acculturation was also moderated by FH such that the positive association between acculturation and alcohol use was greater among FH+ subjects and, in particular, among FH+ men. CONCLUSIONS: Although preliminary, these results suggest that the potential protective effects conferred by ALDH2 and ADH1B are moderated by FH, such that a positive FH appeared to abolish the protective effect of these genes. Further, acculturation was associated with greater alcohol use in FH+ subjects only. If replicated in larger samples, these data suggest that alcohol-metabolism genes may not be protective in the context of high environmental risk.
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External
| Title | Authors | Journal | Year | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative Alcohol Metabolism Genetic Score as a Moderator of the Association Between Positive Drinking Consequences and Next-Day Alcohol Use: An Observational Study. | Song H et al. | — | 2026 | → |
| Exploring the Role of Alcohol Metabolizing Genotypes in a 12-Week Clinical Trial of Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder. | Castaldelli-Maia JM et al. | — | 2021 | → |
| Quantile-Specific Heritability of Intakes of Alcohol but not Other Macronutrients. | Williams PT | — | 2020 | → |
| Risk Factors Related to Binge Drinking: A Comparative Study of American and South Korean Adolescents. | Chung SS et al. | — | 2019 | → |
| A Critical Review of Methods and Results in the Search for Genetic Contributors to Alcohol Sensitivity. | Schuckit MA | — | 2018 | → |
| Alcohol Consumption, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Gene Polymorphisms, and Cardiovascular Health in Korea. | Shin MJ et al. | — | 2017 | → |
| ALDH2*2 and peer drinking in East Asian college students. | O'Shea T et al. | — | 2017 | → |
| Gene-by-Environment Interactions on Alcohol Use Among Asian American College Freshmen. | Luk JW et al. | — | 2017 | → |
| Review: Environmental influences on alcohol use: Informing research on the joint effects of genes and the environment in diverse U.S. populations. | Chartier KG et al. | — | 2017 | → |