Neighborhood conditions and trajectories of alcohol use and misuse across the early life course

While neighborhood conditions have been linked to alcohol misuse, less is known about the long-term consequences of exposure to adverse neighborhood conditions early in the life course. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health, we examined how trajectories of alcohol behaviors from ages 12 to 32 varied according to neighborhood disorder, disadvantage, and advantage. Early exposure to adverse neighborhood conditions placed individuals at greater risk of being a current drinker and alcohol misuse, though these individuals never reached the same levels as those in more stable, advantaged neighborhoods. Early exposure appears to place individuals at risk for alcohol misuse across the early life course.