Alcohol consumption is a significant social and economic issue, and understanding the factors that contribute to individual differences in drinking habits is essential. Research by experts from Swansea University and the Medical University of Lodz explored this topic, focusing on the influence of prenatal sex steroids.
The study found a correlation between higher alcohol consumption and a more extended 4th digit relative to the 2nd digit, suggesting that higher prenatal testosterone levels (compared to oestrogen) are linked to increased alcohol use in students.
The study included 258 participants, 169 of whom were female, and found that alcohol consumption rates differed between genders. Men exhibited higher levels of alcohol consumption and experienced greater mortality rates due to alcohol abuse compared to women.
Professor John Manning of Swansea’s Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise, and Medicine (A-STEM) research team said, “A pattern like this suggests involvement of sex hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen. Digit ratio (2D:4D: the relative lengths of the 2nd [index] and 4th [ring] fingers) is thought to be an index of early testosterone (long 4th digit) and oestrogen (long 2nd digit).”
“It is known that alcohol-dependent patients have very long 4th digits relative to their 2nd digits, suggesting high testosterone relative to oestrogen exposure before birth. As expected, the associations were stronger for men than women.”
The researchers now hope that their findings will help improve the understanding of the factors that influence the range of alcohol consumption patterns, from abstinence and occasional use to harmful dependence.
Journal Reference:
- Barbara Ślawski, Anna Kasielska-Trojan et al. Is Alcohol Consumption Pattern Dependent on Prenatal Sex-Steroids? A Digit Ratio (2D:4D) Study Among University Students. American Journal of Human Biology. DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24187
