A new study from Yale University found that African-American college-aged girls are less likely to abuse alcohol than white girls because of cultural and environmental factors. According to The New Haven Register, the study cited parental disapproval, a more conservative attitude toward drinking and higher church attendance as reasons why there is such a difference between black and white girls.
The study — which was published last week in the journal of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, focused on 3,500 female twins both identical and fraternal, “to look at the relative contributions of genetics vs. environment on (the) age of first drink and problem drinking,”
- The researcher said, “What we found is that there’s no shared environmental effects” in African-American teens who abuse alcohol. Family environment is not playing a role in problem drinking.” For black girls who drink heavily, genetics and individual experiences, such as different friends or traumatic events, are more relevant.”
- The researcher continued, “At a community and cultural level, European-Americans are not doing as good a job at protecting their girls from problem drinking as African-Americans are.” (Pulse of Radio)
