47 - Alcohol Use and Abuse

Abstract

The systematic study of alcohol use and abuse is a young field, and there is a need to integrate alcohol and epidemiology research methodologies, particularly in the area of measuring alcohol consumption. Relatively little attention has been given to gender differences in the etiology and health consequences of alcohol use and many areas are in need of further study. For example, available data indicate that the bioavailability of alcohol is higher in women than in men and suggest that women may be more sensitive to alcohol's effects than men. This greater responsiveness to alcohol may result in women consuming less alcohol and having fewer alcohol-related problems; however, it may place those women who do drink heavily at higher risk of alcohol-related disease. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying gender differences in consumption patterns is needed, together with prospective studies to better define factors influencing alcohol use and its effect on the health of women and their children. The roles of factors such as ethnicity, age, marital status, and sexual orientation also need to be considered, because they significantly influence women's drinking. Health services research is needed to develop effective prevention programs and to identify methods of breaking down barriers that keep women from seeking and obtaining alcohol treatment and to evaluate the potential benefits of gender-sensitive and gender-specific treatment.