AGGREGATE-LEVEL PREDICTORS OF THE PREVALENCE OF SELECTED DRINKING PATTERNS IN MULTIPLE STUDIES - A RESEARCH SYNTHESIS FROM THE COLLABORATIVE ALCOHOL-RELATED LONGITUDINAL PROJECT

This paper examines the prevalence of two ''at-risk'' alcohol drinking patterns (infrequent heavy drinking and frequent heavy drinking) with in age/gender groups in multiple general population studies. When hete rogeneity in findings across studies is found, we test the hypotheses that suicide, divorce, unemployment rates, and the per capita consumpt ion of alcohol in each country are associated with the prevalence of t hese drinking patterns. These analyses should inform the literature on the relationships between societal factors and the prevalence of pers ons in different societies and periods in history that drink at these levels.