ALDH2 유전형과 정신사회 스트레스가 대학생의 음주 행동 변화에 미치는 영향

Effects of ALDH2 Genotypes and Psychosocial Stress on the Change of Drinking Behavior in College Students

Objectives：The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation of the ALDH2 genotype with life events in order to provide data on biological and psychosocial factors related to problem drinking in early adulthood. Methods：The subjects were 150 young adults who were sampled from 534 people who had been determined genotype ALDH2 and had completed the previous research as freshmen in 2000. Through 6 years of followup observation, we reevaluated demographic and psychosocial variables including the pattern of drinking and life events, and compared the results with the results of the previous re-search. Results：During the 6-year period, the frequency of drinking decreased but physical response to drinking worsened and problem drinking behavior partially increased. In addition, the preventive effect of the D allele against problem drinking de-creased with the higher number of life events. Conclusion：Al-though the frequency of drinking decreased, pathological drink-ing was suspected in some of the subjects who had the D allele. The results of this study suggest that the number of life events has an impact on the preventive effect of D allele of ALDH2 against problem drinking. This explains part of the genetic and environmental factors affecting problem drinking behavior in early adulthood.