Abstract
Aims: The aim of the study was to explore associations between dimensions of alcohol use in married couples and subsequent divorce in Russia using longitudinal data. Methods: Follow-up data on 7157 married couples were extracted from 14 consecutive annual rounds (1994–2010) of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, a national population-based panel study. Discrete-time hazard models were fitted to estimate the probability of divorce among married couples by drinking patterns reported in the previous survey wave. Results: In adjusted models, increased odds of divorce were associated with greater frequency of husband and wife drinking (test for trend P = 0.005, and P = 0.05, respectively), wife's binge drinking (P = 0.05) and husband's heavy vodka drinking (P = 0.005). Couples in whom the wife drank more frequently than the husband were more likely to divorce (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.52–5.36), compared with other combinations of drinking. The association between drinking and divorce was stronger in regions outside Moscow or St. Petersburg. Conclusion: This study adds to the sparse literature on the topic and suggests that in Russia heavy and frequent drinking of both husbands and wives put couples at greater risk of future divorce, with some variation by region and aspect of alcohol use.
Highlights
Alcohol use in Russia is a major public health concern (Leon et al, 2009), but little is known about the potential adverse effects of alcohol on drinkers’ immediate families and households
Couple drop-out was associated with higher education and younger age, but not alcohol use
The results suggest that both high frequency and large volumes of alcohol are significant threats to marital stability in Russia, as has been found in UK and US populations, but there are variations according to features of alcohol use and region
Summary
Alcohol use in Russia is a major public health concern (Leon et al, 2009), but little is known about the potential adverse effects of alcohol on drinkers’ immediate families and households. A high proportion of total alcohol is drunk as spirits, up to 75% in some studies (Pomerleau et al, 2005; Popova et al, 2007), and research consistently finds that over half of men are binge drinkers (Nilssen et al, 2005; Perlman, 2010). Heavy drinking is more common in youth and middle age, among those with low education, the unemployed and those in poorer households (Bobak et al, 1999; Tomkins et al, 2007; Perlman, 2010; Cook et al, 2011). Heavy drinking is considered more socially acceptable for men and is perceived to play an important role in male social life, professional life and stress management (Mustonen, 1997; Pietilä and Rytkönen, 2008a)
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