Hostility, drinking pattern and mortality

  1. Stephen H. Boyle1,*,
  2. Laust Mortensen1,2,
  3. Morten Grønbæk2,
  4. John C. Barefoot1,3

Article first published online: 8 NOV 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.02024.x

Issue

Addiction

Addiction

Volume 103, Issue 1, pages 54–59, January 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Boyle, S. H., Mortensen, L., Grønbæk, M. and Barefoot, J. C. (2008), Hostility, drinking pattern and mortality. Addiction, 103: 54–59. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.02024.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA,

  2. 2

    National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark and

  3. 3

    Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

*Stephen H. Boyle, Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Box 2969, Durham, NC, USA. E-mail: shboyle@duke.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 DEC 2007
  2. Article first published online: 8 NOV 2007
  3. Submitted 3 November 2006; initial review completed 22 February 2007; final version accepted 28 August 2007

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Keywords:

  • Drinking pattern;
  • health effects;
  • hostility;
  • mortality;
  • veterans

ABSTRACT

Aims  This study examined the association of hostility to drinking pattern and whether this association mediated the relation of hostility to mortality.

Participants and design  Subjects were 3326 current drinkers from the Vietnam Experience Study cohort who were followed for vital status.

Setting  United States.

Measurements  Hostility was measured by an abbreviated version of the Cook–Medley Hostility Scale (ACM). The alcohol variables were total monthly intake of alcohol, drinking frequency, drinks per drinking day and drinking ≥ 5 drinks on at least one occasion in the past month (i.e. heavy episodic drinking).

Findings  Regression analyses showed associations between the ACM and total monthly intake of alcohol (P < 0.0001), drinks per drinking day (P < 0.0001) and heavy episodic drinking (P < 0.0001), but not with frequency of drinking days. Hostility, drinks per drinking day, heavy episodic drinking and total monthly alcohol intake were also associated with all-cause mortality (all Ps < 0.0001). Further analyses showed that drinking pattern, particularly drinks per drinking day, may account partially for the relation of hostility to mortality.

Conclusions  High hostility is associated with elevated mortality and a deleterious drinking pattern characterized by relatively high intake per drinking occasion. Drinking pattern could help explain the relationships between hostility and health.

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