Childless Women 35 and Over Are Binge Drinking More

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June 26, 2023 – In the surveys, the participants listed their parental status, age of first-time parenting, and whether they engaged in binge drinking (consuming four or more drinks in one sitting) in the past two weeks, or developed AUD symptoms in the past five years.

The results concluded that women who turned 35 between 2018 and 2019 were nearly 60% more likely to binge drink or report AUD symptoms than women who turned 35 between 1993 and 1997.

This was noted as only 39% of women in 2018-2019 had children before age 30, compared to 54% of women in 1993-1997. As more research has shown that Americans are engaging in concerning drinking habits, this is the first study to analyze the impact of delayed or forgoing parenting on binge drinking among newer generations of middle-aged women.

Women in their 20s and 30s typically reduce their alcohol consumption as they begin planning their pregnancy, but as fewer women in that age group are doing so the percentage of them are continuing worrying about drinking habits continue.

“Because more women are delaying having children in the US, a growing proportion of women fall into the highest risk group,” said study lead author Rachel Sayko Adams, research associate professor of health law, policy & management.