Abstract
BackgroundWith surveys suggesting that exceeding guidelines for 'sensible' alcohol intake is commonplace, the health and social impact of modifying intake on a population level is potentially considerable. If public health interventions are to be successfully implemented, it is first important to identify correlates of such behaviours, including socioeconomic disadvantage. This was the aim of the present study.MethodsPopulation-representative cohort study of 576 men from the West of Scotland. Data on life course socioeconomic position were collected in 1988 (at around 55 years of age). Alcohol consumption patterns (detailed seven day recall) and problem drinking (CAGE questionnaire) were ascertained in 1990/2 (at around 59 years of age). A relative index of inequality was computed to explore the comparative strength of different indicators of social circumstances from different periods of the life course.ResultsSocioeconomic adversity in both early life and in adulthood was related to an increased risk of exceeding the weekly and daily alcohol guidelines, with adult indicators of socioeconomic position revealing the strongest associations. Of these, material indicators of socioeconomic deprivation in adulthood – car ownership, housing tenure – were marginally more strongly related to heavy alcohol intake and problem drinking than education, income and occupational social class. A substantial proportion of the influence of early life deprivation on alcohol intake was mediated via adult socioeconomic position. Similar results were apparent when problem drinking was the outcome of interest.ConclusionIn men in this cohort, exposure to disadvantaged social circumstances across the lifecourse, but particularly in adulthood, is associated with detrimental patterns of alcohol consumption and problem drinking in late middle age.
Highlights
With surveys suggesting that exceeding guidelines for 'sensible' alcohol intake is commonplace, the health and social impact of modifying intake on a population level is potentially considerable
In Additional file 1 we present the relation of early life indicators of socioeconomic position with the three alcohol outcomes
We found that adult deprivation was more strongly related to our alcohol outcomes than early life deprivation [23,24]; second, material socioeconomic indicators in adulthood generally revealed a steeper gradient with heavy alcohol intake and problem drinking than other factors, such as education, income and occupational social class [24]; third, a substantial proportion of the influence of early life deprivation on alcohol intake was mediated via adult socioeconomic position [23]
Summary
With surveys suggesting that exceeding guidelines for 'sensible' alcohol intake is commonplace, the health and social impact of modifying intake on a population level is potentially considerable. If public health interventions are to be successfully implemented, it is first important to identify correlates of such behaviours, including socioeconomic disadvantage. This was the aim of the present study. While abstainers and heavy consumers experience elevated risk, moderate drinkers do not Based on these data, and in keeping with other health behaviours such as dietary intake [3] and physical activity [4], guidance on appropriate alcohol intake has been widely disseminated. A negative impact on non-health outcomes, such as family breakdown and financial hardship, has been suggested [8], and has received some support in the few population-based studies conducted [9]
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