Having Parent with Alcohol Use Disorders Increases Children’s Own Risk

Children whose parents have an alcohol use disorder are at increased risk of developing the disorder themselves, a new study finds. The risk appears to be greater for girls than boys, HealthDay reports.

The study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, included data from more than 7,000 Danish adults who were born between 1959 and 1961. In a journal press release, study author Erik Lykke Mortensen of the University of Copenhagen says the findings are important because earlier studies suggested genetics played a stronger role in males than in females. He noted that while there is an increased risk associated with a parent’s alcoholism, many other factors determine whether a person develops an alcohol use disorder.