scholarly journals Changes in Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic Are Dependent on Initial Consumption Level: Findings from Eight European Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (19) ◽  
pp. 10547
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Rossow ◽  
Miroslav Bartak ◽  
Kim Bloomfield ◽  
Fleur Braddick ◽  
Elin K. Bye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Consumption Level ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
European Survey ◽  
Heavy Drinkers ◽  
Country Differences ◽  
The Uk

Evidence suggests that changes in alcohol consumption during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic were unevenly distributed over consumer groups. We investigated possible inter-country differences in how changes in alcohol consumption are contingent on initial consumption (before or at the start of the pandemic), and how changes in consumption translate into possible changes in the prevalence of heavy drinking. We used data from the European Survey on Alcohol use and COVID-19 (ESAC) conducted in Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Spain, and the UK (N = 31921). Past-year alcohol consumption and changes in consumption were measured by AUDIT-C. Drinking habits were compared according to percentiles of pre-pandemic consumption levels, below versus above the 90th percentile. Across countries, drinkers in the highest 10% for pre-pandemic consumption increased their drinking during the pandemic, whereas absolute changes among those initially drinking below this level were modest. The percentage of people reporting >28 alcohol units/week increased significantly in seven of eight countries. During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption in the upper decile of the drinkers increased as did the prevalence of heavy drinkers, in contrast with a declining consumption in other groups in the sample.

scholarly journals Nordic, Italian, and German Drinking Habits: A Comparison between Surveys Made since the 1980s

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 14-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sari Hanhinen
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Central European ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Drinking Frequency

This article compares Nordic drinking habit surveys and their results — a comparison previously done in 1988. It includes all the main surveys regarding drinking habits of the adult population in the Nordic countries since 1988. In addition the analysis takes in Italy and Germany. Drinking habits are described and compared on four dimensions: the share of abstainers and drinkers, overall drinking frequency, the volume of alcohol consumption, and heavy drinking and drinking for intoxication. The study highlights the difficulties inherent in the international comparison of drinking habits. The results indicate that even though the changes in beverage preferences imply a homogenization of drinking patterns, the homogenization hypothesis proves to be wrong when comparing the results concerning the shares of abstainers, drinking frequencies or distribution of alcohol consumption between women and men. Denmark still differs from the rest of the Nordic countries in these respects, being closer to central European countries like Germany. In the other Nordic countries traditional drinking patterns seem to persist despite the changes in beverage preferences. Closest to Denmark and central European countries stands Finland, where drinking frequency has been rising and where more alcohol is consumed than in Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Looking at the previous comparison of Nordic drinking habits, it can be concluded that drinking habits are very open to changes.

scholarly journals Heavy alcohol consumption in individuals with HIV infection: Effects on neuropsychological performance

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHANNES C. ROTHLIND ◽  
TANYA M. GREENFIELD ◽  
ANNE V. BRUCE ◽  
DIETER J. MEYERHOFF ◽  
DEREK L. FLENNIKEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Heavy Alcohol ◽  
Heavy Drinkers ◽  
Heavy Alcohol Use ◽  
Active Alcohol

Higher rates of alcohol use have been reported in HIV+ individuals compared to the general population. Both heavy alcohol use and HIV infection are associated with increased risk of neuropsychological (NP) impairment. We examined effects of heavy active alcohol use and HIV on NP functioning in a large sample of community-residing HIV+ individuals and HIV− controls. The four main study groups included 72 HIV− light/non-drinkers, 70 HIV− heavy drinkers (>100 drinks per month), 70 HIV+ light/non-drinkers, and 56 HIV+ heavy drinkers. The heavy drinking group was further subdivided to assess effects of the heaviest levels of active alcohol use (>6 drinks per day) on NP functioning. A comprehensive NP battery was administered. Multivariate analysis of covariance was employed to examine the effect of HIV and alcohol on NP functioning after adjusting for group differences in age and estimated premorbid verbal intellectual functioning. The analyses identified main effects of heavy drinking and HIV on NP function, with greatest effects involving the contrast of HIV+ heavy drinkers and the HIV− light drinkers. Synergistic effects of heaviest current drinking and HIV infection were identified in analyses of motor and visuomotor speed. Supplementary analyses also revealed better NP function in the HIV+ group with antiretroviral treatment (ART) and lower level of viral burden, a finding that was consistent across levels of alcohol consumption. Finally, heavy alcohol use and executive functioning difficulties were associated with lower levels of self-reported medication adherence in the HIV+ group. The findings suggest that active heavy alcohol use and HIV infection have additive adverse effects on NP function, that they may show synergistic effects in circumstances of very heavy active alcohol use, and that heavy drinking and executive functioning may mediate health-related behaviors in HIV disease. (JINS, 2005, 11, 70–83.)

Finnish Twins Reared Apart. IV: Smoking and Drinking Habits. A Preliminary Analysis of the Effect of Heredity and Environment

1984 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kaprio ◽  
M. Koskenvuo ◽  
H. Langinvainio
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Entire Cohort ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Dissimilarity Score ◽  
Image Position ◽  
Never Smoker

AbstractData on alcohol use and smoking habits was available from the 1975 questionnaire of the entire cohort. Prior to pairwise analyses, the data of individuals was compared to that of age-sex matched groups of pairs reared together. The early separated twins had a higer alcohol consumption, while for smoking only slight differences were observed compared to twins reared together. Probandwise concordance rates were computed from smoking status (ever smoker/never smoker), alcohol use (user/nonuser) and “heavy” drinking (half-bottle of spirits on one occasion at least once a month). The following results were obtained in those pairs with the environmental dissimilarity score > 15:

scholarly journals Associations between occupation and heavy alcohol consumption in UK adults aged 40–69 years: a cross-sectional study using the UK Biobank

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Thompson ◽  
Munir Pirmohamed
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Heavy Alcohol ◽  
Heavy Drinkers ◽  
Heavy Alcohol Consumption ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Gender Specific

Abstract Background Understanding the relationship between occupation and alcohol use offers opportunities to provide health promotion programmes based on evidence of need. We aimed to determine associations between occupation and heavy alcohol consumption in working individuals aged 40–69 years. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using 100,817 people from the UK Biobank: 17,907 participants categorised as heavy drinkers, defined as > 35 units/week for women and > 50 units/week for men, and 82,910 drinking controls. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs were calculated for gender-specific heavy drinking in 353 occupations using Standard Occupational Classification, V.2000. Results Seventy-seven occupations were associated with level of alcohol consumption in drinkers. The largest ratios for heavy drinkers were observed for publicans and managers of licenced premises (PR = 2.81, 95%CI 2.52–3.14); industrial cleaning process occupations (PR = 2.09, 1.33–3.28); and plasterers (PR = 2.07, 1.66–2.59). Clergy (PR = 0.20, 0.13–0.32); physicists, geologists and meteorologists (PR = 0.40, 0.25–0.65); and medical practitioners (PR = 0.40, 0.32–0.50) were least likely to be heavy drinkers. There was evidence of gender-specific outcomes with the proportion of jobs associated with heavy drinking accounted for by skilled trade occupations being 0.44 for males and 0.05 for females, and 0.10 for males and 0.40 for females when considering managers and senior officials. Conclusions In the largest study of its kind, we found evidence for associations between a wider variety of occupations and the risk of heavy alcohol consumption than identified previously, particularly in females, although causality cannot be assumed. These results help determine which jobs and broader employment sectors may benefit most from prevention programmes.

scholarly journals Factors associated with alcohol consumption patterns in a Puerto Rican urban cohort

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Y Andrews-Chavez ◽  
Christina S Lee ◽  
Robert F Houser ◽  
Luis M Falcon ◽  
Katherine L Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Puerto Rican ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Heavy Drinkers ◽  
The Usa

AbstractObjectiveThere is little research on factors associated with alcohol consumption among Puerto Ricans living in the USA; thus the aim of the present study was to examine alcohol intake patterns, and factors associated with drinking categories, in a cohort of Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts.DesignCross-sectional study. Descriptive and polytomous logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with drinking patterns, stratified by gender.SettingGreater Boston area, MA, USA.SubjectsPuerto Rican adults (n 1292), aged 45–75 years.ResultsEight per cent of men and 39 % of women were lifetime abstainers; 40 % of men and 25 % of women were former drinkers; 31 % of men and 27 % of women were moderate drinkers; and 21 % of men and 8 % of women were heavy drinkers. Thirty-five per cent of participants reported drinking alcohol while taking medications with alcohol contraindications. After multivariable adjustment, young men were less likely than older men to be moderate drinkers. Among women, higher BMI, age, lower income and lower psychological acculturation were associated with abstention; age and lower perceived emotional support were associated with increased likelihood of former drinking; and women without v. with diabetes were more likely to be heavy drinkers.ConclusionsHigh prevalence of chronic disease, heavy drinking and alcohol use while taking medications with alcohol contraindications suggest an urgent need for better screening and interventions tailored to this rapidly growing Hispanic national subgroup. As heavy drinking appears to increase with acculturation for women, public health initiatives are needed to support appropriate alcohol use.

Nalmefene against alcohol use disorder: A report of one case

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s866-s866
Author(s):  
M. Juncal Ruiz ◽  
O. Porta Olivares ◽  
L. Sánchez Blanco ◽  
R. Landera Rodríguez ◽  
M. Gómez Revuelta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Opioid Receptor ◽  
Treatment Option ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

IntroductionAlcohol consumption represents a significant factor for mortality in the world: 6.3% in men and 1.1% in women. Alcohol use disorder is also very common: 5.4% in men and 1.5% in women. Despite its high frequency and the seriousness of this disorder, only 8% of all alcohol-dependents are ever treated. One potentially interesting treatment option is oriented toward reducing alcohol intake.AimsTo describe one case who has improved his alcohol consumption after starting treatment with nalmefene, an opioid receptor antagonist related to naltrexone.MethodsA 35-year-old male with alcohol use disorder since 2001 came to our consult in November 2015. He was in trouble with his family and he had a liver failure. We offer a new treatment option with nalmefene 18 mg to reduce alcohol consumption.ResultsBefore to start nalmefene he drank 21 drinks/week. Six-month later, he decreased alcohol intake until 5 drinks/week with better family relationship and liver function. After starting nalmefene he complained of nausea, so we recommend to take the middle of the pill for next 7 days. After this time he returned to take one pill with good tolerance and no more side effects or withdrawal syndrome.ConclusionsNalmefene appears to be effective and safe in reducing heavy drinking and in preventing alcohol withdrawal syndrome due to its opioid receptor antagonism. This case suggests nalmefene is a potential option to help patients, who do not want or cannot get the abstinence, in reducing their alcohol consumption.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Changes in Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Small Change in Total Consumption, but Increase in Proportion of Heavy Drinkers

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4231
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Rossow ◽  
Elin K. Bye ◽  
Inger Synnøve Moan ◽  
Carolin Kilian ◽  
Jørgen G. Bramness
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Web Surveys ◽  
Total Consumption ◽  
Consumption Level ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Heavy Drinkers ◽  
Total Alcohol ◽  
Small Change

Little is known about possible changes in alcohol consumption distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimated how individual changes in alcohol consumption during the pandemic translated into changes in: (i) mean consumption; (ii) dispersion of consumption distribution; and (iii) prevalence of heavy drinkers. We employed data from two independent web-surveys of Norwegian adults collected between April and July 2020 and limited to those reporting past year alcohol consumption (N1 = 15,267, N2 = 1195). Self-reports of changes in drinking behavior were quantified, assuming change being relative to baseline consumption level. During the pandemic, we found a small increase (Survey 1) or no change (Survey 2) in estimated mean alcohol consumption (which parallels to total consumption). However, in both surveys, the dispersion of the distribution increased significantly (p < 0.001). For most respondents, an average modest decline in consumption was found. However, the small fraction with the highest baseline consumption increased their consumption substantially, and in effect, the proportion of heavy drinkers increased markedly (p < 0.001). In conclusion, quantifications of reported changes in alcohol consumption during the pandemic suggest that the upper 5 to 10% of the drinkers increased their consumption and hence the prevalence of heavy drinkers increased, despite little or no change in total alcohol consumption.

scholarly journals International Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of British Drinking Cultures

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 572-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Thurnell-Read ◽  
Lorraine Brown ◽  
Philip Long
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Public House ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

While the increased scale and importance of international students to the UK Higher Education sector is now well established, little is known about the ways in which students from non-UK countries experience and interact with the heavy drinking culture that predominates on and near many British universities. Drawing on qualitative interviews, this article analyses the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of British drinking cultures held by international students studying on postgraduate courses at a UK university. Students report prior awareness of alcohol consumption being important to British culture and recount both positive and negative experiences of witnessing and, for many, participating in drinking alcohol. Students make ready comparisons with the drinking habits and attitudes of their own culture. Further still, many made a distinction between the public house, or ‘pub’, as a welcoming and friendly social space, and bars and nightclubs, where a far greater risk of exposure to violence and harassment was perceived. The article provides theoretical insights to support future and more wide-ranging research into mobile drinking cultures and also suggests practical implications to inform stakeholders with interests in the welfare of international students in the UK in relation to the provision of effective and proactive policies which address the impact of British drinking cultures on international student integration and well-being.

Effect of alcohol consumption on patient-reported outcomes in hip arthroscopy: a matched controlled study with minimum 2-year follow-up

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-468
Author(s):  
Ajay C Lall ◽  
Erwin Secretov ◽  
Muriel R Battaglia ◽  
David R Maldonado ◽  
Itay Perets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Total Hip Arthroplasty ◽  
Hip Arthroscopy ◽  
Patient Reported Outcomes ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Heavy Drinkers ◽  
Outerbridge Grade

Introduction:There is a paucity of literature examining the effects of alcohol consumption on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after hip arthroscopy. The purpose of this study was to report 2-year outcomes of hip arthroscopy in patients who consume alcohol compared to patients who abstain.Methods:Registry data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed to identify heavy drinkers at the time of primary hip arthroscopy. Patients were matched 1:1 (heavy drinkers:non-drinkers) based on age, sex, BMI, acetabular Outerbridge grade, and capsular treatment. All patients were assessed with 4 validated PROs: mHHS, NAHS, HOS-SSS, and iHOT-12. Pain was estimated with VAS.Results:42 patients were pair matched in each group (heavy drinkers:non-drinkers). Both groups demonstrated significant improvement for all PROs and VAS. Heavy drinkers reported lesser improvement in HOS-SSS ( p = 0.0169), smaller decrease in VAS ( p = 0.0157), and lower final scores on iHOT-12 ( p = 0.0302), SF-12 mental ( p = 0.0086), and VR-12 mental ( p = 0.0151). Significantly fewer patients in the heavy-drinking group reached PASS for mHHS ( p = 0.0464). Odds of achieving PASS for mHHS was 2.5 times higher for patients who abstain from alcohol. The rates of revision hip arthroscopy and conversion to total hip arthroplasty were not statistically different between groups.Conclusion:While hip arthroscopy may still yield clinical benefit in drinkers, patients who consume heavy amounts of alcohol may ultimately achieve an inferior functional status and should be counselled on drinking cessation to optimise their results.

scholarly journals The prevalence of hazardous and harmful drinking in the UK Police Service, and their co-occurrence with job strain and mental health problems

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Irizar ◽  
S. H. Gage ◽  
M. Field ◽  
V. Fallon ◽  
L. Goodwin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Police Service ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Aims Due to the stressful nature of policing, police employees are at risk of mental health problems and problematic alcohol use. We aim to determine the prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol use in the UK Police Service, and to explore the associations with job strain and mental health problems. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Airwave Health Monitoring Study (N = 40 986) included measures of alcohol consumption (total units in past week), mental health (depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) and job strain. The associations between mental health and job strain with alcohol consumption (i.e. abstinence, low-risk [<14 units per week, reference group], hazardous [>14 to 35 units for women, >14 to 50 units for men], harmful [>35 units for women, >50 units for men]), were analysed using multinomial logistic regressions, adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, children under 18, income and smoking status). Results A total of 32.6% of police employees reported hazardous drinking, with 3.0% drinking at harmful levels. Compared to those without a mental health problem, police employees with depression, anxiety or PTSD were twice as likely to be harmful drinkers and were also 1.3 times more likely to report abstinence. Those reporting low strain (reference group) were more likely to drink hazardously compared to those reporting high strain, which was statistically moderated by mental health. When the sample was stratified by mental health status, the association between low strain (compared to all other categories) and hazardous drinking, was significant only in those without a mental health problem. Conclusions These findings indicate that police employees may be an occupational group at risk of alcohol harm, with one-third drinking hazardously. The J-shaped relationship between mental health and alcohol use highlights a need for an integration of mental health and alcohol services, tailored for the UK Police Service.

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