Alcohol drinking pattern and subjective health in a population-based study

AIMS: Some patterns of alcohol consumption (e.g. binge drinking, drinking outside of meals) have been associated with detrimental effects on health outcomes. Subjective health provides a global assessment of health status and is a strong predictor of total mortality; however, little is known about its relationship with alcohol drinking pattern. The association between several drinking patterns (i.e. drinking intensity and frequency, frequency of intoxication, drinking outside of meals, and beverage type) and subjective health was examined in a random sample of 3586 women and men. DESIGN: A population-based cross-sectional study. METHODS: Subjective health was assessed using the physical and mental health component summaries of the Short Form-36 health survey questionnaire. Alcohol consumption refers to the 30 days before the interview. Analysis of covariance compared gender-specific mean scores across alcohol drinking patterns. FINDINGS: Overall, non-current drinkers reported poorer physical and mental health than life-time abstainers and current drinkers, while no consistent differences were found between life-time abstainers and current drinkers. In female current drinkers, daily drinking, beer and mixed beverage consumption were associated with better mental health. In male current drinkers, moderate alcohol consumption (2-2.9 drinks per day), wine and mixed beverage consumption were associated with better physical health. Intoxication and liquor consumption were associated with poorer mental health in women and poorer physical health in men. No consistent associations were found for drinking outside meals. CONCLUSIONS: Aspects of drinking pattern may affect subjective health differentially in women and men. Overall, intoxication and liquor drinking are associated with poorer self-perceived health status than regular, moderate consumption of other alcoholic beverages.     

Drinking Patterns and Drinking Problems in 1984: Results from a General Population Survey

Findings on alcohol consumption and alcohol problems from a 1984 general population survey are presented and compared to previous survey findings. Eighteen percent of all men and 5% of all women were classified as frequent heavy drinkers; 6% of all men drinkers and 2% of all women drinkers reported that they got "drunk" as often as once per week or more. A system for measuring drinking problems, based largely on the work of Cahalan and Room, is presented and explained. As when interpreting any system of measuring drinking problems in a general population survey, readers must be aware that the resulting prevalence rates are strongly influenced by arbitrary decisions about where cutpoints should be drawn. With this caveat in mind, the results show that 9% of men drinkers and 4% of women drinkers reported problematic drinking behavior at what is defined as a moderate level of severity. Similarly, 14% of men drinkers and 6% of women drinkers reported adverse tangible consequences of drinking at a moderate level of severity. The age and sex distributions of drinking, heavy drinking, intoxication, and drinking problems were as expected, with greater proportions of men than women reporting these things and greater proportions of younger than older drinkers reporting them.     

Risky drinking and alcohol use patterns in a national sample of women of childbearing age

AIMS: We examined risky drinking and alcohol use patterns associated with prenatal effects of alcohol exposure in women of childbearing age, using various definitions of low-risk drinking. DESIGN: Computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) methodology was used to gather information in a cross-sectional survey on alcohol use and problems, pregnancy and likelihood of future pregnancy. SETTING: Participants were respondents in the 2000 National Alcohol Survey (NAS, N10, response rate 58%) which includes men and women from all 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1504 women aged 18-39 years were included; 72 were pregnant, 511 were currently not pregnant but reported being likely to be pregnant in the next 5 years, and 921 women were neither pregnant nor likely to be in the next 5 years. MEASUREMENTS: Various alcohol use patterns in the past 12 months including average volume, amount per session, drinking with food and time spent drinking were assessed. FINDINGS: Seven per cent of childbearing age women exceeded guidelines used to classify women as risky drinkers in the past month. Thirty per cent were classified as risky drinkers when these guidelines were extended to past-year drinking. Examination of specific alcohol use patterns revealed that while under 10% of risky drinkers reported past-month heavy episodic drinking, 30% or more reported heavy episodic drinking and exceeding daily limits for alcohol consumption in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: Public health professionals should note that past-year drinking in a significant proportion of women of childbearing age exceeds guidelines for alcohol use. When targeting such prevention efforts, they should thus include assessment of past-year alcohol use patterns.     

Alcohol-attributable injuries in admissions to a swiss emergency room--an analysis of the link between volume of drinking, drinking patterns, and preattendance drinking

BACKGROUND: An association between alcohol consumption and injury is clearly established from volume of drinking, heavy episodic drinking (HED), and consumption before injury. Little is known, however, about how their interaction raises risk of injury and what combination of factors carries the highest risk. This study explores which of 11 specified groups of drinkers (a) are at high risk and (b) contribute most to alcohol-attributable injuries. METHODS: In all, 8,736 patients, of whom 5,077 were injured, admitted to the surgical ward of the emergency department of Lausanne University Hospital between January 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, were screened for alcohol use. Eleven groups were constructed on the basis of usual patterns of intake and preattendance drinking. Odds ratios (ORs) comparing injured and noninjured were derived, and alcohol-attributable fractions of injuries were calculated from ORs and prevalence of exposure groups. RESULTS: Risk of injury increased with volume of drinking, HED, and preattendance drinking. For both sexes, the highest risk was associated with low intake, HED, and 4 (women), 5 (men), or more drinks before injury. At the same level of preattendance drinking, high-volume drinkers were at lower risk than low-volume drinkers. In women, the group of low-risk non-HED drinkers taking fewer than 4 drinks suffered 47.5% of the alcohol-attributable injuries in contrast to only 20.4% for men. Low-volume male drinkers with HED had more alcohol-attributable injuries than that of low-volume female drinkers with HED (46.9% vs 23.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Although all groups of drinkers are at increased risk of alcohol-related injury, those who usually drink little but on occasion heavily are at particular risk. The lower risk of chronic heavy drinkers may be due to higher tolerance of alcohol. Prevention should thus target heavy-drinking occasions. Low-volume drinking women without HED and with only little preattendance drinking experienced a high proportion of injuries; such women would be well advised to drink very little or to take other special precautions in risky circumstances.     

Alcohol consumption among low-income pregnant Latinas

BACKGROUND: Due to changing cultural norms, Latinas of childbearing age residing in the U.S. may be at increasing risk of drinking harmful levels of alcohol during pregnancy, and may also be unaware of the risks for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders associated with this behavior. We assessed the prevalence of alcohol consumption in a sample of low-income pregnant Latinas and examined risk factors for alcohol use in the periconceptional period. METHODS: As part of a larger intervention trial, a cross-sectional in-home interview study was conducted among a sample of 100 pregnant low-income Latinas receiving services from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in San Diego County, California. RESULTS: Fifty-seven percent of respondents indicated they were either life-time abstainers or had not consumed any alcohol in the periconceptional period. Forty-three percent reported some alcohol use in the three months prior to recognition of the current pregnancy, and 20% reported at least one binge episode of four or more standard drinks during that time frame. Five percent reported drinking seven or more drinks per week, and 8% continued drinking alcohol after recognition of pregnancy. Significant predictors of any alcohol use in the periconceptional period included English language/higher level of acculturation, younger maternal age, lower parity, higher level of education, younger age at first drink, and having ever smoked. Women who were aware of alcohol warning messages and /or had more knowledge of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) were significantly more likely to have consumed alcohol in the periconceptional period. Frequency of periconceptional use of alcohol did not differ between women who planned or did not plan the pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and pattern of early pregnancy alcohol consumption in this sample of Latinas is similar to patterns noted in other race/ethnic groups in the U.S. Level of knowledge about FAS and awareness of warning messages was not protective for early pregnancy alcohol consumption, suggesting that specific knowledge was insufficient to prevent exposure or that other factors reinforce maintenance of alcohol consumption in early pregnancy. Selective interventions in low-income Latinas are warranted, and should be focused on women of reproductive age who are binge or frequent drinkers and who are at risk of becoming pregnant.     

Alcohol abuse in a metropolitan city in China: a study of the prevalence and risk factors

AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of alcohol abuse in modern China and to explore the risk factors that may be associated with alcohol abuse. DESIGN: A face-to-face interview was carried out in a random sample with 2327 respondents. SETTING: Respondents were selected randomly from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, between May and June 2002. Participants Fifteen-65-year-old urban Chinese adults. MEASUREMENTS: Scores for alcohol abuse and related risk factors were the main measures. FINDINGS: (1) Nearly 15% of urban Chinese adults aged 15-65 were alcohol abusers. (2) Deviant drinking habits of mother, schoolmates, colleagues or friends all had a negative impact on the respondent's alcohol drinking behaviours, and higher economic status, current smokers, being male and being older were identified as risk factors related to alcohol abuse. In particular, if a drinker's mother used alcohol frequently then this drinker was more likely to become an alcohol abuser than those drinkers whose mothers did not use alcohol frequently (P = 0.0001). Fathers' drinking behaviours do not have a significant impact on the alcohol abusers. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to common risk factors such as economic status, deviant peers' and fellows' drinking behaviours and negative attitudes to alcohol drinking, maternal alcohol drinking habit influenced significantly the offspring's drinking habits. Therefore, efficient intervention and education of healthy drinking habits in early motherhood is necessary for Chinese women.     

Binge Drinking and Suboptimal Self‐Rated Health Among Adult Drinkers

Background: Binge drinking accounts for more than half of the 79,000 annual deaths in the United States that are owing to excessive drinking. The overall objective of our study was to examine the prevalence of binge drinking and consumption levels associated with suboptimal self‐rated health among the general population of adult drinkers in all 50 states and territories in the United States. Methods: The study included a total of 200,587 current drinkers who participated in the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. We estimated the prevalence of binge drinking (i.e., ≥5 drinks on 1 occasion for men or ≥4 drinks on 1 occasion for women) and heavy drinking (i.e., an average of >14 drinks per week for men or >7 drinks per week for women), as well as the average number of binge episodes per person during a 30‐day period. Odds ratios were produced with multivariate logistic regression models using binge‐drinking levels as a predictor; status of suboptimal self‐rated health was used as an outcome variable while controlling for sociodemographic, health, and behavioral risk factors. Results: We estimate that 34.7 million adult drinkers in the United States engaged in binge drinking in 2008, including an estimated 42.2% who reported either heavy drinking or at least 4 binge‐drinking episodes in a 30‐day period. Binge drinking with such levels was associated with a 13–23% increased likelihood of reporting suboptimal self‐rated health, when compared to the nonbinge drinkers. Conclusions: Binge drinking continues to be a serious public health concern. Frequent binge drinkers or binge drinkers who consume alcohol heavily are especially at risk of suboptimal self‐rated health. Our findings underscore the importance of broad‐based implementation in health care settings of screening for and brief interventions to address alcohol misuse, as well as the continuing need to implement effective population‐based prevention strategies to reduce alcohol‐related morbidity and mortality.     

Increased drinking in a metropolitan city in China: a study of alcohol consumption patterns and changes

AIMS: To investigate alcohol drinking among urban Chinese and any changes between 2002 and 2005. DESIGN: Two identical face-to-face interviews were carried out with two random samples with 2327 and 2613 respondents, respectively. SETTING: Respondents were selected randomly from Wuhan City, Hubei province, China, between May and June 2002, and June and August 2005. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen to 65-year-old urban Chinese adults. MEASUREMENTS: Prevalence of drinking, frequency of drinking, typical occasion quantity, volume of annual consumption and heavier drinking were the main measures. FINDINGS: Nearly three-quarters (90% for men and 55% for women) were current alcohol drinkers in 2005, and the prevalence of drinking alcohol had increased significantly since 2002 among both men and women; the largest increases occurred in the younger group (18-19 years) and among older women. There was no change in the frequency of drinking, the average quantities consumed by drinkers and the volume of absolute alcohol consumed by drinkers over this 3-year period. However, reflecting the increased prevalence of drinkers, the median volumes of absolute alcohol consumed in the sample as a whole had increased significantly. Older males were more likely to be categorized as larger-quantity drinkers: 30-65-year-old men accounted for 63%. There was also an increase over time in the proportion of larger-quantity drinkers: the proportion of male larger-quantity drinkers increased from 27% in 2002 to 35% in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: In the urban setting of Wuhan, over the time-period 2002-05, there was an increase in prevalence of drinkers, particularly among younger people and older women. The average frequency and quantities consumed by drinkers did not change over this period; among drinking men the volumes of alcohol consumed were comparable to those in much more saturated commercial alcohol markets. The results did, however, show an increase over time in the proportion of older men who were engaged in heavier drinking and, in 2005, the proportion exceeded that in more saturated markets. These data suggest that, given the relatively high levels of consumption among established drinking groups, increases in the prevalence of drinkers over time may result in increases in harm if effective policies are not implemented.     

Association of Moderate Consumption of Alcohol With Rates of Heavy Drinking and Abstinence in Spain

BACKGROUND: Moderate consumption of alcohol reduces general mortality among middle-aged and elderly persons through a reduction in cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, higher consumption of wine is associated with lower cardiovascular mortality in northern Spain. This information may be used to promote moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages in Spain. However, alcohol consumption is influenced by the drinking habits of the individual's social environment. Therefore, we examine the relation between average consumption of alcohol and the prevalence of heavy drinkers, who most often have adverse effects from alcohol, and the prevalence of abstainers, who do not benefit from alcohol, in Spain. METHODS: Spain's 17 administrative regions are the units of analysis. Alcohol consumption data were taken from the 1993 National Health Survey. Data were analyzed using weighted correlation coefficients and linear regression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Mean alcohol consumption among moderate drinkers showed a positive correlation with the proportions of men (r = 0.63; p = 0.007) and women (r = 0.58; p = 0.015) whose alcohol intake was above the 90th percentile of consumption distribution. Similar results were yielded when median rather than mean consumption was used, and when heavy drinking was defined as the consumption of 210 g and 140 g of alcohol per week, in men and women, respectively. The association also was observed across all ages and all types of beverages. However, no statistically significant association was seen between mean and median alcohol consumption and the proportion of abstainers. SIGNIFICANCE: Moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with the prevalence of heavy drinkers in all regions of Spain. Therefore, promotion of moderate consumption of alcohol in Spain might be associated with a rise in the prevalence of heavy drinkers, those who most frequently suffer the harmful effects of alcohol.     

Prevalence of alcohol dependence among excessive drinkers in New Mexico

BACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol consumption claims more than 75,000 lives in the United States each year. The prevalence of alcohol dependence among excessive drinkers is not well known. METHODS: Data from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in New Mexico were used to assess the prevalence of excessive drinking, including binge drinking, heavy drinking, alcohol-impaired driving, and alcohol dependence. RESULTS: Of 4,761 respondents, 16.5% were excessive drinkers; 14.4% binge drank and 1.8% were alcohol dependent. While the rates of alcohol dependence were higher among the youngest age group, males, those with some college education, and those of race/ethnicity other than White, non-Hispanic, only differences by age were statistically significant. The prevalence of alcohol dependence was the highest among those who reported alcohol-impaired driving in the past 30 days (15.9%), and was lower among those who reported heavy drinking (13.4%) and binge drinking (8.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Although 16.5% of New Mexico adults had at least 1 type of excessive drinking, only 1.8% of all adults met the criteria for alcohol dependence. Furthermore, only a minority of those who reported binge drinking, heavy drinking, or alcohol-impaired driving met the criteria for alcohol dependence. This suggests that most alcohol problems in New Mexico are likely due to excessive drinking among persons who are not alcohol dependent. The adverse health and social consequences associated with excessive drinking are not limited to those who are alcohol dependent, but extend to a broader range of problem drinkers across the population.     

Physicians' enquiries into their patients' alcohol use: public views and recalled experiences

Aims To examine public opinion and experiences of family physician involvement in alcohol use issues and to identify patient characteristics associated with these opinions and experiences. Design A secondary analysis of population survey data from the 1993 Ontario Alcohol and Other Drug Opinion Survey (OADOS), a random household telephone survey of adults in Ontario, Canada. Opinion and experiences regarding alcohol use were examined by drinking status. Participants All survey respondents (n = 941; 65% response rate). Population expansion weights were applied to ensure the sample's representativeness of the adult population of Ontario. Measurements Measures assessed the prevalence of opinions and experiences of family physicians: (1) asking patients about their drinking; (2) advising regular drinkers to cut down/quit; and (3) helping patients with alcohol problems. Self‐reported past‐year alcohol consumption and related problems were used to construct a categorical variable describing current drinking status. Findings Public opinion supported routine inquiries into patients’ drinking habits and advising regular drinkers to cut down. However, the experience of being asked by a physician about drinking, being advised to cut down or being helped with alcohol problems was uncommon. Respondents’ drinking status was associated with experiences of being asked about drinking and being advised to cut down. Conclusions Physician training should inform physicians that public opinion supports inquiries about drinking and advisement to reduce consumption, as it does not appear that family doctors are meeting these expectations of patients.     

Unhealthy drinking patterns in older adults: prevalence and associated characteristics

OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of unhealthy drinking patterns in community-dwelling older adults and its association with sociodemographic and health characteristics.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative survey data.
SETTING: The data source was the 2003 Access to Care file of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, which represents the continuously enrolled Medicare population.
PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older (N=12,413).
MEASUREMENTS: The prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use by older adults defined in relation to two parameters of recommended limits: monthly use exceeding 30 drinks per typical month and "heavy episodic" drinking of four or more drinks in any single day during a typical month in the previous year. Sociodemographic and health status variables were also included.
RESULTS: Nine percent of elderly Medicare beneficiaries reported unhealthy drinking, with higher prevalence in men (16%) than women (4%). In logistic regression analyses with the full sample, higher education and income; better health status; male sex; younger age; smoking; being white; and being divorced, separated, or single were associated with higher likelihood of unhealthy drinking. Among drinkers, in addition to sociodemographic variables, self-reported depressive symptoms were positively associated with unhealthy drinking. Among unhealthy drinkers, race and ethnicity variables were associated with likelihood of heavy episodic drinking.
CONCLUSION: Almost one in 10 elderly Medicare beneficiaries report exceeding recommended drinking limits. Several distinct unhealthy drinking patterns were identified and associated with sociodemographic and health characteristics, suggesting the value of additional targeted approaches within the context of universal screening to reduce alcohol misuse by older adults.     

The association between alcohol consumption patterns and adherence to food consumption guidelines

Objective: To examine the association between alcohol consumption patterns and adherence to major food consumption guidelines in adults in Spain. Methods: Telephone survey of 12,037 persons, representative of the population age 18 to 64 years in the region of Madrid, conducted from 2000 to 2005. The threshold between average moderate and excessive drinking was 40 g alcohol/d in men and 24 g/d in women. Binge drinking was defined as intake of ≥80 g alcohol in men and ≥60 g in women during 1 drinking session in the last 30 days. Food consumption was measured with a 24‐hour recall. Statistical analyses were performed using logistic regression and adjusted for the main confounders. Results: In total, 4.3% of study participants were excessive drinkers and 10.3% binge drinkers; 6.5% preferred spirits and 24.2% drank with meals. In comparison with never drinking, average moderate drinking with binge drinking was associated with excessive meat consumption (>1 serving/d). Excessive alcohol consumption without binge drinking was associated with insufficient intake of milk products (<2 servings/d) and excessive consumption of meat, fish, and eggs (>2 servings/d). Excessive drinkers with binge drinking more often did not meet the guidelines on consumption of fruit and vegetables (<3 servings/d), milk products, and meat. Excessive drinkers, with and without binge drinking, were more likely to skip a meal, especially breakfast. Consumption mainly of spirits was associated with insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption, and with skipping a meal. Finally, drinking at mealtimes was associated with poor adherence to most of the food consumption guidelines. No dietary differences between men and women were found in relation to alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Average excessive alcohol consumption, binge drinking, preference for spirits, and drinking alcohol at mealtimes are associated with poor adherence to major food consumption guidelines.     

Alcohol use in pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption in Russia is reportedly high for both men and women; most studies of Russian drinking have used questionnaires not designed specifically to measure alcohol consumption or to interview women. This study was designed specifically to measure drinking patterns among pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women. METHODS: Eight hundred ninety-nine women of child-bearing age in St. Petersburg, Russia, were interviewed in employment centers, educational centers, and at obstetric and gynecologic (OB/GYN) clinics and hospitals. Measurement of drinking used several types of drinking questions and time frames. RESULTS: Nearly all nonpregnant Russian women (95.9%) reported consuming alcohol in the last 12 months. Among nonpregnant women drinkers, 7.6% reported drinking heavily (29.58 mL or more ethanol/d), and 18.4% reported drinking >or=5 on at least 1 occasion. Contrary to expectations of Russian obstetricians, pregnant Russian women readily answered detailed questions about their drinking behavior during pregnancy. Nearly all pregnant women drank in the year before they became pregnant; of these, 60.0% reported drinking when they knew they were pregnant, and 34.9% drank in the past 30 days. Among pregnant women who drank in the past 30 days, 7.4% reporting having >or=5 drinks on at least 1 occasion. Nevertheless, more than 90% of pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women believed that alcohol has a detrimental effect on pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant and nonpregnant Russian women were willing to answer detailed questions about their drinking behavior. Although most pregnant women studied reduced their drinking during pregnancy, one-third of the pregnant women did not stop drinking. It is important to find out what enabled two-thirds of the pregnant women to stop drinking before or during their pregnancy.     

Relationship Between Age and Drinking Patterns and Drinking Problems Among Japanese, Japanese-Americans, and Caucasians

Comparing alcohol consumption patterns by age and gender among Japanese in Japan and Japanese-Americans and Caucasians in the United States, this study examined the associations between age and both heavy drinking and social problems using logistic regression for each ethnic group of male current drinkers. As reported in previous studies of Caucasians, men drink more alcohol than women, older respondents are more likely than younger ones to be abstainers, and the percentages of heavier drinkers and problem drinkers are higher among the young than among older people. Although Japanese-Americans reported consuming less alcohol than Caucasians, their drinking patterns by age were similar:among both United States populations, younger respondents are at higher risk for drinking problems than older respondents, even when alcohol consumption and sociodemographic variables are controlled by logistic regression. However, this association of age and drinking patterns and drinking problems is not universal. Japanese men consumed more alcohol and had a higher proportion of heavier drinkers in the middle age groups; the association between age and drinking problems also varied in this group. In addition to aging, sociocultural factors such as drinking norms probably account for the differences in drinking behavior among different age groups. This study may stimulate further cross-cultural comparison of drinking patterns and problems.     

Late‐Life Alcohol Consumption and 20‐Year Mortality

Background: Growing epidemiological evidence indicates that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced total mortality among middle‐aged and older adults. However, the salutary effect of moderate drinking may be overestimated owing to confounding factors. Abstainers may include former problem drinkers with existing health problems and may be atypical compared to drinkers in terms of sociodemographic and social‐behavioral factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between alcohol consumption and all‐cause mortality over 20 years among 1,824 older adults, controlling for a wide range of potential confounding factors associated with abstention. Methods: The sample at baseline included 1,824 individuals between the ages of 55 and 65. The database at baseline included information on daily alcohol consumption, sociodemographic factors, former problem drinking status, health factors, and social‐behavioral factors. Abstention was defined as abstaining from alcohol at baseline. Death across a 20‐year follow‐up period was confirmed primarily by death certificate. Results: Controlling only for age and gender, compared to moderate drinkers, abstainers had a more than 2 times increased mortality risk, heavy drinkers had 70% increased risk, and light drinkers had 23% increased risk. A model controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems, and key sociodemographic and social‐behavioral factors, as well as for age and gender, substantially reduced the mortality effect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers. However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 51 and 45%, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with an interpretation that the survival effect for moderate drinking compared to abstention among older adults reflects 2 processes. First, the effect of confounding factors associated with alcohol abstention is considerable. However, even after taking account of traditional and nontraditional covariates, moderate alcohol consumption continued to show a beneficial effect in predicting mortality risk.     

Binge drinking in Madrid, Spain

BACKGROUND: In Mediterranean countries, the information on the prevalence of binge drinking and associated socio-demographic variables is very scarce. Moreover, there are no reported data on the amount of alcohol ingested and the type of beverage consumed during drinking episodes. This study describes the prevalence and characteristics of binge drinking in the adult population of Madrid, Spain. METHODS: Data were taken from a telephone survey conducted during the period 2000 to 2005 on 12,037 persons, representative of the population aged 18 to 64 years in the Madrid Region. Binge drinking was defined as the intake of >or=80 g of alcohol in men or >or=60 g in women, during any drinking session in the preceding 30 days. In this analysis, the threshold between moderate and heavy average weekly alcohol consumption was set at 40 g/d for men and 24 g/d for women. RESULTS: Prevalence of binge drinking was 14.4% (95% confidence interval, CI: 13.5 to 15.3%) in men and 6.5% (95% CI: 5.8 to 7.1%) in women. Prevalence was higher among persons: in the youngest age group (30.8% among men and 18.2% among women aged 18 to 24 years); having the highest educational level (14.5% in male and 9.2% in female university graduates); and with a heavy average consumption of alcohol (55.3% in men and 50.0% in women). However, 3 of 4 binge drinkers of both sexes showed a moderate average consumption. Among binge-drinkers, average monthly episodes of binge drinking were 3.2 in men and 2.6 in women, with 5.4 and 2 episodes/person/year, respectively. During each episode, a mean of 119 g of alcohol was ingested by men and 83 g by women, with spirits accounting for 72% of total alcohol intake. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of binge drinking is high in Madrid, particularly among younger men with higher education, and heavy average alcohol consumption. Binge drinking is characterized by frequent episodes, where large amounts of alcohol are ingested, mainly from spirits.     

Prevalence and correlates of alcohol use: a population-based study in Hong Kong

Objective To estimate the prevalence and pattern of alcohol use and to analyse the socio‐demographic and biological correlates of alcohol drinking in Hong Kong Chinese. Design A population‐based cross‐sectional study conducted from December 1994 to October 1996. Setting and participants 2900 randomly selected subjects age 25–74 years who participated in the Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study in Hong Kong. Results Alcohol consumers comprised 55.4% (95% CI: 52.8–58.0) of men and 19.4% (95% CI: 17.4–21.4) of women. The median weekly ethanol consumed by male and female drinkers were 9.6 g and 3.6 g, respectively. Beer was the main source of alcohol; 61.5% of drinkers consumed beer as their main drink. In stepwise multiple regression among drinkers, male sex, smoking, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, primary or below education, diastolic blood pressure and separated or widowed marital status were associated positively with weekly ethanol consumption. Conclusion In this representative sample of Hong Kong adults, the majority were either non‐drinkers or very light drinkers, which can be used as a benchmark to measure changes in drinking pattern in the future. The putative protective effect of alcohol on heart disease could be due to the higher level of HDL in moderate drinkers.     

Characteristics of malt liquor beer drinkers in a low-income, racial minority community sample

BACKGROUND: The authors describe and compare drinking patterns among malt liquor beer (MLB), regular beer (RB), and hard liquor (HL) drinkers in a low-income, racial/ethnic minority community. METHODS: Drinkers were recruited from randomly selected alcohol outlets in South Los Angeles. Respondents were assessed on sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol use history, drinking patterns, and drinking context among other items in a face-to-face interview with research staff. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-nine drinkers were interviewed, of whom 297 reported drinking MLB, RB, or HL brands of alcohol most often in the past 90 days. This subsample was 88% African-American, 72% male, and 35% unemployed. As compared with RB and HL drinkers, MLB drinkers were more likely to be homeless, to receive public assistance for housing, and to be unemployed. MLB drinkers also reported significantly higher rates of daily or near-daily drinking (74%, as compared with 48% for RB and 29% for HL) of drinks per day on drinking days (5.2, as compared with 4.2 for RB and 3.1 for HL), and daily average ethanol consumption (6.97 oz, as compared with 2.13 oz for RB drinkers and 6.13 oz for HL drinkers). In multinomial regression analysis that controlled for potential confounders, the odds of preferring RB as compared with MLB were significantly increased among persons with blue-collar occupations and those who reported drinking in public settings and were reduced among persons who drank outdoors, those who combined drinking with tobacco smoking, and those who drank alcohol with members of the same sex. Average daily ethanol consumption odds were reduced for RB drinkers as compared with MLB drinkers. The odds of preferring HL as compared with MLB were significantly increased for persons with white-collar occupations and those who drank in public settings and were reduced for persons who drank outdoors and those who combined drinking and smoking. CONCLUSION: The authors observed substantial differences in sociodemographic characteristics, drinking patterns, and ethanol consumption by beverage type in this community sample. MLB drinkers seem to have distinctive drinking patterns that require additional study to determine whether this pattern is associated with increased individual or community risk.