Socioeconomic Status and Alcohol-Related Risk: The Role of Perceived Life Expectancy and Intertemporal Preferences

OBJECTIVE: The relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol use is complex, with high SES linked to greater alcohol use and low SES linked to more alcohol related problems. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying these associations may inform our understanding of these seemingly contradictory findings. Drawing on life history theory, we hypothesized that individuals from lower-SES backgrounds may perceive shorter life expectancies and, consequently, favor immediate rewards, such as alcohol use. To test this hypothesis, we examined both the direct association between SES and alcohol use and related problems, and indirect effects via perceived life expectancy and intertemporal preferences. METHOD: Participants (N = 876) from a large southwestern university completed self-report measures assessing family SES, perceived life expectancy, intertemporal preferences, and alcohol use and related problems (AUDIT). RESULTS: Using a formative indicator of family SES, a path analysis revealed a direct association between higher family SES and greater AUDIT scores (b=.188, SE=.064, p<.01). However, there was an indirect association in the opposite direction (b=-.025, SE=.012, p<.05), such that individuals from lower SES backgrounds reported a lower perceived life expectancy, which was associated with higher AUDIT scores. Indirect effects through intertemporal preferences were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that socioeconomic disparities in alcohol use and related problems may be partly explained by perceived life expectancy, at least within a college student sample. This work offers a novel application of life history theory to understanding relations between SES and alcohol use and related problems that may inform efforts to reduce alcohol-related problems.