Abstract

The current study tested the association of number of children and the age at which parents sought treatment for alcohol dependence for the first time in the life. From the sample of 1,316 patients 1,109 were included for analysis. The mean age was 44 (SD ± 12.6) years; 71% were males. Their histories were retrospectively reviewed for the descriptive study that focused on the number of children at the first time of patient entry into a  specialized health facility for alcohol dependence treatment. The data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that a higher mean age of the patients at the time when they were for the first time seeking treatment for the problems diagnosed as alcohol dependence was associated in both sexes with having more children: male and female patients without children, 36 (SD ± 11.8) and 35 (SD ± 10.0) years, respectively; male and female patients with one child, 44 (SD ± 11.7) and 43 (SD ± 10.8) years; with two children, 50 (SD ± 10.1) and 50 (SD ± 9.5) years, respectively; with three and more children, 50 (SD ± 10.3) and 51 (SD ± 10.8) years. The association between number of children and age at treatment was statistically significant (p ≤ 0.000). Conversely, there were no significant differences between female and male patients. Parents with more children tended to seek the first treatment for alcohol use problems diagnosed as dependence later, than those with one child or those who were childless.

Keywords: Parenthood; Motherhood; Fatherhood; Alcohol dependence; Treatment entry