Abstract
BackgroundThis study evaluated and compared the extent, duration, contents, experiences and effects of alcohol conversations in healthcare in the Netherlands and Sweden in 2017.MethodsSurvey data in the Netherlands and Sweden were collected through an online web panel. Subjects were 2996 participants (response rate: 50.8%) in Sweden and 2173 (response rate: 82.2%) in the Netherlands. Data was collected on socio-demographics, alcohol consumption, healthcare visits in the past 12 months, number of alcohol conversations, and characteristics of alcohol conversations (duration, contents, experience, effects).ResultsResults showed that Swedish respondents were more likely to have had alcohol conversations (OR = 1.99; 95%CI = 1.64–2.41; p = < 0.001) compared to Dutch respondents. In Sweden, alcohol conversations were more often perceived as routine (p = < 0.001), were longer (p = < 0.001), and more often contained verbal information about alcohol’s health effects (p = 0.007) or written information (p = 0.001) than in the Netherlands. In Sweden, 40+ year-olds were less likely to report a positive effect compared to the youngest respondents. In the Netherlands, men, sick-listed respondents, and risky drinkers, and in Sweden those that reported “other” occupational status such as parental leave, were more likely to have had alcohol conversations.ConclusionsThe results suggest that alcohol conversations are more common in healthcare practice in Sweden than in the Netherlands. However, positive effects of alcohol conversations were less likely to be reported among older respondents in Sweden. Our results indicate that alcohol preventative work should be improved in both countries, with more focus on risky drinkers and the content of the conversations in Sweden, and expanding alcohol screening in the Netherlands.
Highlights
This study evaluated and compared the extent, duration, contents, experiences and effects of alcohol conversations in healthcare in the Netherlands and Sweden in 2017
Respondents in Sweden were almost twice as likely to have had a conversation about alcohol in the past 12 months compared to respondents from the Netherlands (OR = 1.99; 95%Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.64–2.41; p = < 0.001)
We found that respondents in Sweden were almost twice as likely to have had a conversation about alcohol in the past 12 months compared to respondents from the Netherlands
Summary
This study evaluated and compared the extent, duration, contents, experiences and effects of alcohol conversations in healthcare in the Netherlands and Sweden in 2017. Addressing the harms associated with alcohol consumption remains an important public health challenge. Healthcare practitioners report experiencing various barriers to asking patients about their alcohol use including: a perceived lack of knowledge about the early symptoms of excessive alcohol use [48]; insufficient time and resources [24]; and the impact of their own drinking practices [10, 18]. These barriers may explain why BI delivery in global healthcare systems remains limited. A further survey conducted in England found that less than 10% of those who drink excessively reported having received advice on their alcohol consumption in primary healthcare [9]
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