Changes in Alcoholic Beverage Choice and Risky Drinking among Adolescents in Europe 1999-2019.

Johanna K Loy,Carolin Kilian,Elin K Bye,Paul Dietze,Björn Trolldal,Ludwig Kraus,Nicki-Nils Seitz,Kirsimarja Raitasalo,Jakob Manthey,Renate Soellner,Jukka Törrönen

doi:10.3390/ijerph182010933

Abstract

This paper explores trends in beverage preference in adolescents, identifies related regional differences, and examines cluster differences in key drinking measures. Data were obtained from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), covering 24 European countries between 1999 and 2019. Trends in the distribution of alcoholic beverages on the participants’ most recent drinking occasion were analysed by sex and country using fractional multinomial logit regression. Clusters of countries based on trends and predicted beverage proportions were compared regarding the prevalence of drinkers, mean alcohol volume and prevalence of heavy drinking. Four distinct clusters each among girls and boys emerged. Among girls, there was not one type of beverage that was preferred across clusters, but the proportion of cider/alcopops strongly increased over time in most clusters. Among boys, the proportion of beer decreased, but was dominant across time in all clusters. Only northern European countries formed a geographically defined region with the highest prevalence of heavy drinking and average alcohol volume in both genders. Adolescent beverage preferences are associated with mean alcohol volume and heavy drinking at a country-level. Future approaches to drinking cultures need to take subpopulations such as adolescents into account.

Highlights

Alcohol consumption is one of the most important risk factors for adverse health effects and mortality [1]
We found that risky drinking behaviours, in terms of high mean alcohol volume and high prevalence of heavy drinking on the most recent drinking day, were more common in northern European countries, Estonia, and Ukraine, the cluster where cider/alcopops were most preferred
Adolescent beverage choices and changes in beverage choice are associated with alcohol volume and heavy drinking, with the high and increasing proportions of the use of cider/alcopops

Summary

Introduction

Alcohol consumption is one of the most important risk factors for adverse health effects and mortality [1]. Adolescents are vulnerable to alcohol-related brain damage and the acquisition of problematic drinking behaviours [2,3]. Beverage choice or preference are known to be associated with risky single-occasion drinking [4] or drinking to acute.

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Discussion

Conclusion