Alcohol Consumption and the Experience of Adverse Consequences—A Comparison of Six European Countries

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 549-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats Ramstedt
Keyword(s):  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Risk Curve ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems ◽  
Related Harm

This paper describes prevalence rates of self-reported experiences of alcohol-related problems in six Western European countries and examines how self-reported consumption of alcohol is associated with the likelihood of experiencing these problems. Of particular interest is to assess whether alcohol is more strongly associated with the likelihood of experiencing adverse consequences in Northern Europe than in countries in Central and Southern Europe. Data on self-reported volume of drinking and binge drinking and of experiences of various alcohol-related problems from a general population survey undertaken in Finland, Sweden, Germany, the UK, France and Italy during the spring of 2000 were analyzed. The number of respondents was about 1,000 men and women (ages 18–64) in each country. In the assessment of the link between drinking and harm, results showed that the overall prevalence of alcohol-related harm was highest in Finland and the UK and lowest in Southern Europe. A general positive association was found between volume of drinking and problems, although some country differences were observed. The risk curve analysis also revealed that problems occurred at fairly low drinking levels. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, the volume of drinking and a measure of binge drinking were both statistically significant predictors of most problems in most countries. A major conclusion is that both volume of drinking and binge drinking are important determinants of the risk of experiencing adverse consequences from drinking in all six European countries.

Socioeconomic position and alcohol-related harm in Danish adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 839-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanne Pagh Møller ◽  
Veronica Sofie Clara Pisinger ◽  
Anne Illemann Christensen ◽  
Janne S Tolstrup
Keyword(s):  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
The Family ◽  
Youth Study ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

BackgroundIn adults, it has consistently been observed that with equal alcohol consumption levels, alcohol harms individuals with low socioeconomic position (SEP) more than individuals with high SEP. It is unknown if this so-called alcohol harm paradox is also present in adolescents. We aim to test the hypothesis that low SEP is associated with more alcohol-related harm as compared with higher SEP in Danish adolescents.MethodsWe used survey data from the Danish National Youth Study 2014 including 70 566 students from 119 high schools. Alcohol-related harm was measured by self-report as having been in a fight, involved in an accident, had problems with parents or friends, had sex that was regretted afterwards and done drugs that was regretted afterwards, because of alcohol. Further, a combined measure was constructed defined as having experienced any harm more than once within the last year. SEP was measured as parents’ educational level, family income, parents’ employment status and experiencing financial strain in the family. Analyses were adjusted by age, sex, perceived ethnicity, class type and binge drinking.ResultsLower SEP was associated with higher odds of experiencing alcohol-related harm more than once as compared with highest SEP, and lower SEP was associated with higher odds of having been in a fight, problems with parents or friends, sex and regretting afterwards or drugs and regretting afterwards, as compared with highest SEP. These associations were statistically significant. Adjustment for the frequency of binge drinking did not change results.ConclusionThe alcohol harm paradox exists in Danish adolescents, and this should be addressed in future prevention strategies to reduce the risk of alcohol-related harm among adolescents.

scholarly journals The price of a drink: the potential of alcohol minimum unit pricing as a public health measure in the UK

2012 ◽  
Vol 201 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Rice ◽  
Colin Drummond
Keyword(s):  
Control Measures ◽  
The Past ◽  
Alcohol Control ◽  
Health Measure ◽  
Alcohol Taxation ◽  
Unit Pricing ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

SummaryThe UK has seen a dramatic increase in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm over the past 30 years. Alcohol taxation has long been considered a key method of controlling alcohol-related harm but a combination of factors has recently led to consideration of methods which affect the price of the cheapest alcohol as a means of improved targeting of alcohol control measures to curb the consumption of the heaviest drinkers. Although much of the evidence in favour of setting a minimum price of a unit of alcohol is based on complex econometric models rather than empirical data, all jurisdictions within the UK now intend to make selling alcohol below a set price illegal, which will provide a naturalistic experiment allowing assessment of the impact of minimum pricing.

scholarly journals The ELAStiC (Electronic Longitudinal Alcohol Study in Communities) project

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Akbari ◽  
Ronan Lyons ◽  
Damon Berridge ◽  
John Gallacher ◽  
John MacLeod ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Routine Data ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Police Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

ABSTRACT ObjectivesThe ELAStiC (Electronic Longitudinal Alcohol Study in Communities) project was established to determine factors that predict pathways into alcohol misuse and the life-course effects of alcohol use and misuse on health and well-being. This is achieved through accessing existing longitudinal data that are key sources of evidence for social and health policy, developing statistical methods and modelling techniques from a diverse range of disciplines, working with stakeholders in both policy, practice and the third sector to bring relevance to the work, and to bring together a diverse team of experts to collaborate and facilitate learning across diverse fields. ApproachThe project will link data that include cohort studies such as; UK Biobank, ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children), Millennium Cohort Study, British Household Panel Survey, Understanding Society, E_CATALyST (Caerphilly Health and Social Needs Electronic Cohort Study) and WECC (Wales Electronic Cohort for Children). These data will be linked with routine data from primary and secondary healthcare in England, Scotland and Wales. Additional data from education and police data source will also be linked as part of the project. The main work packages for the project are: Methodological InnovationsMethodological developments in mechanisms for correcting bias in reporting alcohol consumption and for combining routine data with cohort data; the application of Markov models for examining the extent to which past behaviour influences future behaviour, and econometric hedonic pricing methods for providing insights into the costs of alcohol-related harm. Pathways into HarmDo family structure, household composition, youngsters’ previous ill-health and educational attainment predict their use of alcohol and what socio-economic factors and household transitions contribute to hazardous alcohol consumption in adults? Secondary HarmsWhat is the effect on children’s health and educational achievement of living in households in which one or more adults has experienced alcohol-related harm? Mental Health & Well-BeingWhat is the relationship between alcohol consumption, hospital admission and mental health in adults and children? ResultsThe results of the data linkage between the multiple cohorts and health, education and police data will be reported. The challenges of linking cohort and other data types from different nations will be discussed. ConclusionsOur project will aim to provide evidence that informs the UK Government’s commitment to “radically reshape the approach to alcohol and reduce the number of people drinking to excess”, by working with existing longitudinal data collected in the UK to inform policy and practice.

scholarly journals Electronic Longitudinal Alcohol Study in Communities (ELAStiC) Wales – protocol for platform development

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laszlo Trefan ◽  
Ashley Akbari ◽  
Shantini Paranjothy ◽  
Daniel Mark Farewell ◽  
Andrea Gartner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Routine Data ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Health Trajectories ◽  
Platform Development ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

IntroductionExcessive alcohol consumption has adverse effects on health and there is a recognised need for thelongitudinal analysis of population data to improve our understanding of the patterns of alcohol use,harms to consumers and those in their immediate environment. The UK has a number of linkable,longitudinal databases that if assembled properly could support valuable research on this topic. Aims and objectivesThis paper describes the development of a broad set of cross-linked cohorts, e-cohorts, surveys andlinked electronic healthcare records (EHRs) to construct an alcohol-specific analytical platform inthe United Kingdom using datasets on the population of Wales. The objective of this paper is to provide a description of existing key datasets integrated withexisting, routinely collected electronic health data on a secure platform, and relevant derived variablesto enable population-based research on alcohol-related harm in Wales. We illustrate our use of thesedata with some exemplar research questions that are currently under investigation. MethodsRecord-linkage of routine and observational datasets. Routine data includes hospital admissions,general practice, and cohorts specific to children. Two observational studies were included. Routinesocioeconomic descriptors and mortality data were also linked. ConclusionWe described a record-linked, population-based research protocol for alcohol related harm on a secureplatform. As the datasets used here are available in many countries, ELAStiC provides a templatefor setting up similar initiatives in other countries. We have also defined a number of alcohol specificvariables using routinely-collected available data that can be used in other epidemiological studiesinto alcohol related outcomes. With over 10 years of longitudinal data, it will help to understandalcohol-related disease and health trajectories across the lifespan.

scholarly journals Patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm among European university students

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1125-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Cooke ◽  
Franca Beccaria ◽  
Jakob Demant ◽  
Maria Fernandes-Jesus ◽  
Lena Fleig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
University Students ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorders ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
European University ◽  
Related Harm

Abstract Background To compare patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm from a survey of university students sampled from universities in Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland. Methods A total of 2191 university students (70% female, 90% white ethnic group, age range 18–25) completed the survey. Participants completed measures of demographic variables (age, age of onset, ethnic group and sex) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), which was the primary outcome. Results Sixty-three percent of the sample scored negative for harmful drinking on the AUDIT (<8), with 30% categorized as hazardous drinkers, 4% harmful drinkers and 3% with probable dependence. Analysis of variance, including demographic factors as covariates, identified a main effect of country on AUDIT scores F(5, 2086) = 70.97, P < 0.001, partial eta square = 0.15. AUDIT scores were highest in England (M = 9.99; SD = 6.17) and Denmark (M = 9.52; SD = 4.86) and lowest in Portugal (M = 4.90; ° = 4.60). Post hoc tests indicated large effect size differences between scores in Denmark and England and scores in all other countries (0.79 < d < 0.94; all P’s < 0.001). Conclusions European university students in our sample mainly reported low risk patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm. However, students from Northern European countries had significantly higher AUDIT scores compared with students from Central and Southern European countries. Research is needed to replicate the present study using nationally representative samples to estimate the prevalence of alcohol use disorders among university students in different European countries.

The associations between unemployment at a young age and binge drinking and alcohol-related problems

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-373
Author(s):  
Emelie Thern ◽  
Mats Ramstedt ◽  
Johan Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Young Age ◽  
National Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

Abstract Background Youth unemployment remains at a high stable level in many countries making it a public health problem of importance. The aim was to examine the short-term effect of unemployment at a young age (aged 17–29 years) on self-reported binge drinking and alcohol-related problems. Methods We used data from a cross-sectional national study that took place in 2013, with a follow-up in 2014. A sample of young adults aged 17–29 years (n = 1188, response rate of 46.3%) that completed both surveys served as the study sample in the current study. The same self-reported questionnaire, consisting of questions regarding their alcohol habits and sociodemographic information, was used on both occasions. Information on the outcomes of binge drinking and alcohol-related harm were obtained from the 2014 survey. From the 2013 survey, information on individual and family level covariates were collected. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with employed individuals as the reference group were estimated by logistic regression analysis. Results At baseline, results indicate that employed individuals reported the greatest prevalence of weekly binge drinking. In the fully adjusted models, unemployment appeared to be associated with an increased risk of alcohol-related problems (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.77–2.45); however, this was not the case for weekly binge drinking (OR 0. 94, 95% CI 0.45–1.96). Conclusion Unemployment at a young age may be a risk factor for later alcohol-related problems. Thus, targeting youth unemployment could be one element in an effective health policy aimed at reducing rates of alcohol use disorders.

Evidence into action: implementing alcohol screening and brief interventions in the UK Armed Forces

2020 ◽  
Vol 166 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Andrew Dermont ◽  
P Field ◽  
J Shepherd ◽  
R Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Alcohol Screening ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

IntroductionAlcohol-related harm continues to represent a major public health problem and previous evidence suggests that alcohol misuse within the UK Armed Forces is higher than in the general population. The aim was to introduce a population-level primary care intervention with an existing evidence base to identify and support Service Personnel whose drinking places them at greater risk of harm.ImplementationFollowing successful piloting, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) brief screening tool was introduced as part of routine dental inspections by Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) dentists. Alcohol brief intervention (ABI) advice and signposting to support services was offered to personnel identified as being at increased risk and recorded in the patient’s electronic health record.Achievements to datePatients attending DPHC Dental Centres are now routinely offered AUDIT-C with 74% (109 459) personnel screened in the first 12 months rising to over 276 000 at 24 months, representing the single largest use of AUDIT-C and ABIs in a military population to date.DiscussionIntroduction of AUDIT-C has seen Defence successfully deliver a whole population alcohol initiative, overcoming implementation barriers to demonstrate the flexibility of a dental workforce to deliver a public health intervention at scale and contributing towards promoting positive attitudes towards alcohol use. The initiative represents a first step towards the goal of a standardised alcohol screening and treatment pathway across DPHC while recognising that the Defence Medical Services are only one aspect of the broader public health approach required to tackle alcohol-related harm in Service Personnel.

Problematic Licensed Premises for Assault in Inner Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong

2003 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Briscoe ◽  
Neil Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Violent Crime ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Licensed Premises ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems ◽  
Related Harm

Evidence suggests that licensed premises are often associated with alcohol-related harm, particularly violent crime. However, not all licensed premises appear to be equal contributors to alcohol-related problems in the community. This paper examines the distribution of harmful outcomes across licensed premises in three inner-urban areas of NSW. Police-recorded assault incidents on licensed premises in inner Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong over a 2-year period were analysed. In inner Sydney 12% of hotels and nightclubs accounted for almost 60% of all assaults at hotels and nightclubs, in inner Newcastle 8% of licensed premises accounted for nearly 80% of all assaults on licensed premises and in inner Wollongong 6% of licensed premises accounted for 67% of all on-premises assaults. The analysis also found that assault incidents on licensed premises were concentrated late at night or early in the morning and on weekends. Licence types identified as being the most problematic for violence on licensed premises were hotels and nightclubs. In particular, hotels with extended or 24-hour trading recorded a greater number of assaults compared with those trading standard hours. The implications of these findings for crime prevention and law enforcement strategies are discussed.

scholarly journals Is proximity to alcohol outlets associated with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in Denmark?

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-130
Author(s):  
Abdu K. Seid ◽  
Gabriele Berg-Beckhoff ◽  
Christiane Stock ◽  
Kim Bloomfield
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Alcohol Outlet ◽  
Alcohol Outlets ◽  
Binomial Regression ◽  
Risky Single Occasion Drinking ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems ◽  
Related Harm

Background: This study examined the associations between distance from residence to the nearest alcohol outlet with alcohol consumption as well as with alcohol-related harm. Methods: Data on alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and sociodemographics were obtained from the 2011 Danish Drug and Alcohol Survey ( n = 5133) with respondents aged 15–79 years. The information on distances from residence to the nearest alcohol outlets was obtained from Statistics Denmark. Multiple logistic and linear regressions were used to examine the association between distances to outlets and alcohol consumption whereas alcohol-related harm was analysed using negative binomial regression. Results: Among women it was found that those living closer to alcohol outlets were more likely to report alcohol-related harm ( p < 0.05). This was not true for men. No association was found between distances to outlets and alcohol consumption (volume of drinking and risky single occasion drinking). Conclusions: This study found some support for an association between closer distances between place of residence and alcohol outlets and alcohol-related harm for women. Future studies in the Nordic region should continue to examine the association between physical alcohol availability (nearest distance to an outlet and outlet densities) and alcohol consumption as well as alcohol-related problems using different outlet types.

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