THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL DRINKING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR ON THE DRINKING PATTERNS OF BLACK-AND-WHITE ADULTS

The importance of parents as a source of influence on drinking behavio ur has been emphasized in socialization theories which stress the prim acy of parent-child relation ships and the critical roles parents play as role models and as agents for imparting moral values and normative codes. This study examines parental attitudes and drinking frequency and their effects on the drinking patterns of 1947 black and 1777 whit e adults. Black respondents reported that their parents held more cons ervative drinking attitudes and drank less often than white respondent s. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that parental influences pr edict current drinking patterns in both racial groups even when contro lling- for age, religious factors, region and socio-economic status. H owever, important racial and gender differences were observed in the e ffects of parents' attitudes versus parents' drinking frequency on res pondents current alcohol use: Black men differed from white men and wo men of both races in showing no association between parent attitudes a nd drinking patterns; the frequency of parental drinking was a more im portant predictor of drinking patterns among blacks, particularly men, than it was for whites; and heavier drinking. among women was not cor related with parent drinking attitudes but was associated with parenta l drinking behavior. These results were attributed to racial differenc es in the social context of drinking and family structure and to gende r differences in the prevalence of heavier drinking.