GENDER ALCOHOL USE DISPARITIES AND (POSSIBLE) CONSEQUENCES ON MEN AND WOMEN HEALTH STATUS

Abstract

In this study we approached gender differences of alcohol consumption and, also, the way these differences are reflected in women and men harmful effects of drinking. We focused on Romanian evidences but we reported our results to European realities. The method was secondary data analysis, applied on information provided by World Health Organization, allowing us to create a European countries database, containing patterns of gendered consumption and some harmful consequences of drinking. Available data didn't allow us to analyze the important disparities between gendered patterns of alcohol consumption; so, we had to content us with some selection from scientific literature. Romania has a relatively high level of alcohol consumption but, also, an important proportion of abstainers and low consumers. The apparent contradiction could be explained by the high share of people with „heavy episodic drinking”. To note that women in Romania consume 4.2 times less alcohol than men, have a proportion of abstinence 3.1times higher and the percentage of those who drink daily or weekly is 6.1 times less than of men. Regarding the consequences of alcohol consumption, its dependence prevalence has a very low level in Romania but men have a 3.3 times higher risks. „Alcohol use disorder” has, again, a low prevalence but males have a 3.2 higher probability of AUD. Finally, we mention that in Romania there is an important proportion of deaths attributable to alcohol (for men the proportion is 2.6 higher than for women). An important finding: as much as global alcohol consumption increases, most of gender differences diminish.