Alcohol Consumption In Women Research Articles

A global research agenda for understanding the role of alcohol consumption in older women’s lives

Abstract Background The alcohol industry has targeted women for profit and resisted global efforts to address the impact of alcohol on women’s health. Scholars have called for research that moves beyond individual determinants of alcohol consumption in women, to investigate the range of social, environmental, and commercial factors that may contribute to women’s alcohol attitudes, risk/benefit perceptions, and consumption behaviours. While qualitative research has explored younger and midlife women’s perspectives on alcohol consumption, there is a notable lack of research focusing on older women. Methods This study investigated the factors that influence how older Australian women drinkers conceptualised the role of alcohol in their lives, using data collected from an online qualitative survey with n = 144 women aged 60-88 years. Qualitative responses were analysed using a ‘Big Q’ reflexive approach to thematic analysis. Results Participants perceived alcohol consumption as a socially accepted and normalised activity within Australian culture. For some women, alcohol served as a coping mechanism for life changes, such as retirement, and for managing stressful situations. Alcohol also formed part of daily routines and rituals, such as having wine with dinner. Participants had personal expectancies regarding ‘responsible drinking’, often aligning with alcohol industry messaging and resulting in a reduced perception of alcohol-related risks. Conclusions This research provides global lessons for future public health research examining the factors that may shape older women’s alcohol consumption beliefs and behaviours. The authors consider the unique needs and potential vulnerabilities of older women drinkers, and how these may be potentially exploited by the alcohol industry. Further public health research and policy attention should focus on the impact of alcohol industry messaging on older women’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours about alcohol risks and harms. Key messages • This research highlights the role of alcohol in older women’s lives, urging further public health research and policy attention to prevent alcohol-related harms in older women. • Older women’s perceptions of responsible alcohol consumption mirror the ambiguous messaging employed by the alcohol industry, highlighting the necessity for targeted interventions.

Steps Toward Decreasing Maternal Alcohol Consumption in Israel: Nationwide Trends During a Decade.

Prenatal alcohol exposure poses a substantial risk to fetal development. Efforts were made in 2011-2020 to increase public awareness of and prevent alcohol consumption during pregnancy. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in Israel of pregnant women's alcohol consumption from January 2021 through June 2023 and compared our results with the results of a survey conducted during 2009-2010 to assess changes over time. We conducted cross-sectional surveys at 3 public hospitals in central and northern Israel. Surveyors visited hospitals twice weekly and used a questionnaire consistent with one used in 2009-2010 that focused on alcohol consumption 3 months before pregnancy and during pregnancy. We conducted a stratified analysis of the prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy by demographic characteristics. We also used a multivariable logistic regression model to examine variables associated with receiving guidance on alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Of 1915 women in the 2021-2023 survey (mean [SD] age, 30.8 [5.6] y), 1204 (62.9%) reported never consuming alcohol before pregnancy and 1708 (89.2%) reported no alcohol consumption during pregnancy. During pregnancy, 157 (8.2%) women reported consuming alcohol weekly or less, 12 (0.6%) more frequently, and 52 (2.7%) binge drinking. We found a significant decrease in alcohol consumption during pregnancy in 2021-2023 as compared with 2009-2010 (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52-0.88; P = .03). Predictors of alcohol consumption during pregnancy included alcohol consumption before pregnancy, parity, and smoking. Significantly more women in the 2021-2023 sample (n = 569; 29.7%) than in the 2009-2010 sample received guidance on alcohol consumption during pregnancy (P < .001). Educational efforts should continue to increase awareness of the risks of prenatal alcohol exposure in the general population and among health professionals.

Gendered pleasures, risks and policies: Using a logic of candidacy to explore paradoxical roles of alcohol as a good/poor health behaviour for Australian women early during the pandemic

Drinking alcohol facilitates pleasure for women while also elevating disease risk. Symbolic expectations of what alcohol ‘does in’ life per lay insight (relax, identity-work, connect) sit in tension with scientific realities about what alcohol ‘does to’ women's bodies (elevate chronic disease risks such as breast cancer). Policy must work amidst – and despite – these paradoxes to reduce harm(s) to women by attending to the gendered and emergent configurations of both realities.This paper applies a logic of candidacy to explore women's alcohol consumption and pleasure through candidacies of wellness in addition to risk through candidacies of disease (e.g. breast cancer). Using qualitative data collected via 56 interviews with Australian women (n = 48) during early pandemic countermeasures, we explore how risk perceptions attached to alcohol (like breast cancer) co-exist with use-values of alcohol in daily life and elucidate alcohol's paradoxical role in women's heuristics of good/poor health behaviours.Women were aged 25–64 years, experienced varying life circumstances (per a multidimensional measure of social class including economic, social and cultural capital) and living conditions (i.e. partnered/single, un/employed, children/no children). We collated coding structures from data within both projects; used deductive inferences to understand alcohol's paradoxical role in candidacies of wellness and disease; abductively explored women's prioritisation of co-existing candidacies during the pandemic; and retroductively theorised prioritisations per evolving pandemic-inflected constructions of alcohol-related gendered risk/s and pleasure/s.Our analysis illuminates the ways alcohol was configured as a pleasure and form of wellness in relation to stress, productivity and respectability. It also demonstrates how gender was relationally enacted amidst the priorities, discourses and materialities enfolding women's lives during the pandemic. We consider the impact of policy regulation of aggressive alcohol marketing and banal availability of alcohol in pandemic environments and outline gender-responsive, multi-level policy options to reduce alcohol harms to women.

Binge drinking and progression of white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin in older men

BackgroundInformation on trajectories of diffuse subcortical brain damage of vascular origin associated with binge drinking in older adults is limited. We sought to evaluate the impact of this drinking pattern on the progression of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) of presumed vascular origin in individuals aged ≥60 years taken from the community. MethodsFollowing a longitudinal prospective design, participants of the Atahualpa Project Cohort received interviews to assess patterns of alcohol intake as well as baseline and follow-up brain MRIs. Only men were included because alcohol consumption in women is negligible and tend not to engage in binge drinking in our studied population. Poisson regression models were fitted to assess the incidence rate ratio of WMH progression by patterns of alcohol use (binge drinking or not), after adjusting for demographics, level of education and cardiovascular risk factors. ResultsThe study included 114 men aged ≥60 years (mean age: 65.1±5.4 years). Thirty-seven participants (32%) reported binge drinking for more than 30 years. Follow-up MRIs revealed WMH progression in 45 participants (39%) after a median of 7.2 years. In unadjusted analysis, the risk of WMH progression among individuals with binge drinking was 2.08 (95% C.I.: 1.16–3.73). After adjustment for age, education level and vascular risk factors, participants with this drinking pattern were 2.75 times (95% C.I.: 1.42–5.30) more likely to have WMH progression than those who did not. ConclusionsStudy results show an independent association between binge drinking and WMH progression in community-dwelling older men.

Sex Differences in Alcohol Use: Is It All About Hormones?

Risky alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUD) are a rising problem in women, yet a major disparity in our understanding of what drives alcohol consumption in women remains. Historically biomedical research has focused on male subjects; however, recent increases in reporting of females, have highlighted major differences between the sexes. Here we review the current literature of the effect of gonadal steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens, and progestins), neurosteriods, and neurobiological factors on alcohol use in clinical and preclinical studies of both sexes. Further, we briefly discuss how fundamental sex differences in genetics, metabolism, neuroimmune, and stress responses may influence sex differences in alcohol intake. Comparing the sexes could aid in the discovery of novel therapeutics to treat AUD, and implementation of current treatment options in women.

Shedding light on hidden dynamics: partner controlling behavior and women's alcohol consumption in Ghana

BackgroundWhile existing literature suggests a link between alcohol intake and the perpetuation of controlling behaviors, reverse association is yet to be established. Therefore, our study aims to extend the current understanding of the determinants of alcohol consumption among women in Ghana by investigating the association between partner controlling behavior and women’s past month’s alcohol consumption.MethodsThe study relied on data from the 2022 Ghana demographic and health survey. Analysis was based on observations from 5137 women with complete information on partner controlling behavior and past month alcohol consumption. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were computed. All analyses were executed in STATA version 18.ResultsAbout 15.05% of women consumed alcohol; 37.31% of the respondents had partners who exhibited controlling behaviors. Women who reported experiencing partner controlling behaviors were 1.19 times more likely to engage in alcohol consumption compared to those who did not report such behaviors (AOR = 1.19; 95% CI 1.01–1.41). Additionally, the study identified other significant predictors of alcohol consumption among women, including experiences of sexual violation (AOR = 1.62; 95% CI 1.21–2.15) and richer wealth (AOR = 0.76; 95% CI 0.59–0.97).ConclusionIn conclusion, experiencing partner controlling behavior is associated with higher risk of alcohol consumption. Thus, underscoring the importance of addressing not only individual-level factors but also relational dynamics in understanding and addressing alcohol intake among women. Policy makers and program implementers must prioritize interventions aimed at promoting healthy relationship dynamics and addressing gender-based power imbalances. Furthermore, healthcare providers should be trained recognize and address partner controlling behaviors and sexual violence as part of comprehensive interventions for reducing alcohol consumption among women.

Moderate or major anxiety and depression versus high alcohol consumption in women in Honduras

&lt;b&gt;Introduction:&lt;/b&gt; The role of women in society is diverse and fundamental.&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Objectives&lt;/b&gt;: To determine whether anxiety and moderate or major depression were associated with high alcohol consumption in Honduran women.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; A cross-sectional and analytic study was conducted using the self-reporting questionnaire test as a screening tool for anxiety, depression, and alcohol consumption.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt;: Moderate or greater anxiety was more frequent among those with high alcohol consumption (aPR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.09-2.04; p=0.013), was also frequent among those reporting violence at home (aPR: 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36-1.94; p&amp;lt;0.001) and some history of mental pathology at home (aPR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.44-1.87; p&amp;lt;0.001). Moderate or major depression was more frequent among those reporting violence at home (aPR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.30-1.83; p&amp;lt;0.001) and having some history of mental pathology at home (aPR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.18-1.63; p&amp;lt;0.001).&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/b&gt;A significant association was observed between anxiety and high alcohol consumption in this population of women from Honduras.

Sex differences in heart rate variability measures that predict alcohol drinking in rats.

Problem alcohol drinking continues to be a substantial cost and burden. In addition, alcohol consumption in women has increased in recent decades, and women can have greater alcohol problems and comorbidities. Thus, there is a significant need for novel therapeutics to enhance sex-specific, individualized treatment. Heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) are of broad interest because they may be both biomarkers for and drivers of pathological states. HRV reflects the dynamic balance between sympathetic (SNS, 'fight or flight') and parasympathetic (PNS, 'rest and digest') systems. Evidence from human studies suggest PNS predominance in women and SNS in men during autonomic regulation, indicating the possibility of sex differences in risk factors and physiological drivers of problem drinking. To better understand the association between HRV sex differences and alcohol drinking, we examined whether alcohol consumption levels correlated with time domain HRV measures (SDNN and rMSSD) at baseline, at alcohol drinking onset, and across 10min of drinking, in adult female and male Wistar rats. In particular, we compared both HRV and HR measures under alcohol-only and compulsion-like conditions (alcohol + 10mg/L quinine), because compulsion can often be a significant barrier to treatment of alcohol misuse. Importantly, previous work supports the possibility that different HRV measures could be interpreted to reflect PNS versus SNS influences. Here, we show that females with higher putative PNS indicators at baseline and at drinking onset had greater alcohol consumption. In contrast, male intake levels related to increased potential SNS measures at drinking onset. Once alcohol was consumed, HR predicted intake level in females, perhaps a pharmacological effect of alcohol. However, HRV changes were greater during compulsion-like intake versus alcohol-only, suggesting HRV changes (reduced SNS in females, reduced PNS and increased HR in males) specifically related to aversion-resistant intake. We find novel and likely clinically relevant autonomic differences associated with biological sex and alcohol drinking, suggesting that different autonomic mechanisms may promote differing aspects of female and male alcohol consumption.

Obstacles and facilitators to preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a qualitative study with general practitioners.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are the leading cause of non-genetic intellectual disability. The damage caused, although completely preventable, is irreversible and requires lifelong support. General Practitioners have an important role in the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. However, evidence suggests that General Practitioners do not monitor systematically alcohol consumption among pregnant women. The aim of this study was to understand the barriers and motivations of General Practitioners in the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders on Reunion Island. A qualitative research study was conducted by conducting semi-structured individual interviews with general practitioners. Participants were selected by random or snowball sampling. General practitioners who worked only in unscheduled care services were excluded from this study. After the interviews were transcribed, a verbatim analysis was performed according to the principles of grounded theory. Twenty interviews were conducted by two researchers between November and December 2020. General practitioners expressed discomfort in addressing alcohol consumption and excessive drinking in women. They had inaccurate theoretical knowledge and a lack of practical experience with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. They also showed little knowledge of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders care pathway available on Reunion Island. Both patients and general practitioners expressed discomfort when discussing women's alcohol consumption. Conflicting government policies were highlighted as alcohol promotion campaigns overshadowed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders prevention initiatives. General practitioners should be open and non-judgmental in their interactions with women and couples, with a focus on early detection and short-term intervention. General practitioners should be better educated about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and have a clearer understanding of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders care pathway.

Italian Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: detecting alcohol drinking during pregnancy.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an encompassing term used to describe a range of afflictions brought about by the consumption of alcohol during gestation. The detrimental effects primarily manifest in the central nervous system, growth, and distinctive facial features. Given that there are no known treatments for FASD, the meticulous screening for this condition in the earliest stages of pregnancy bears immense significance, ensuring the avoidance of the grievous consequences stemming from exposure to alcohol in utero. Screening measures for FASD encompass the assessment of alcohol biomarkers such as Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in the maternal bloodstream, Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEEs) in the meconium, and Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) in the meconium, maternal urine and hair. In particular, urinary EtG is highly sensitive and could be routinely used in pregnant women for detecting also occasional drinking. Questionnaire evaluations including AUDIT-C, T-ACE, and TWEAK, alongside a detailed Food Diary method to identify alcohol misuse and high-risk pregnancies, are also available. However, these questionnaires might provide an inadequate reflection of alcohol consumption in women due to their inclination to dissemble to comply with prevailing sociocultural expectations. Hence, this comprehensive review advocates for the indispensable integration of alcohol biomarkers detection in the course of pregnancy monitoring, as it constitutes a valuable tool for facilitating FASD screening.

Sociodemographic factors associated with alcohol use in Turkish women

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to determine the relationship between sociodemographic conditions and alcohol use among women. Methods In this study, the microdata set of the Turkey Health Research survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 2019 was used. The Chi-square independence test examined the relationship between alcohol use and independent variables. Using the Gompit regression analysis, the factors associated with the alcohol consumption of women were identified. Results It was determined that the variables of age, education status, marital status, general health status, psycho-social support status, disease status, working status, body mass index, tobacco use status, number of close people who can be trusted and the status of helping someone else were related to alcohol use status. Conclusion This study emphasizes the importance of targeting women who are youthful, have a high level of education, use tobacco, are single, have a disease lasting six months or longer, are employed, and receive psychosocial support. These groups need more protection from alcohol consumption, and alcohol prevention and cessation programs should also focus on these groups. In order to develop effective strategies to reduce alcohol consumption, it is necessary to consider the factors that affect alcohol consumption.

Preliminary evidence of increased alcohol use associated with ethinyl estradiol levels in women using oral contraceptives

Alcohol use is highly prevalent in young adult women and rates of alcohol use disorder are rising rapidly in this population. Further, emerging evidence suggests that circulating levels of ovarian hormones influence alcohol consumption, with increased consumption associated with higher estradiol and lower progesterone levels. However, less is known about the influence of synthetic hormones (contained in oral contraceptive (OC) pills) on alcohol use. The current study examined the influence of OC pill phase, ethinyl estradiol (EE) levels, and progestin levels on self-reported alcohol consumption in healthy female drinkers. Young adult female drinkers using OCs (N = 21) reported alcohol use across one OC pill pack using the Timeline Followback and provided blood samples during both pill phases to measure synthetic hormone levels. We compared alcohol use between OC pill phases (active vs. inactive) using linear mixed effects models for repeated measures and examined correlations between alcohol use and EE and progestin levels. Results showed that women with higher EE levels reported increased alcohol consumption (r = 0.56, p = 0.01) and binge drinking (r = 0.45, p = 0.04) in the active pill phase. Progestin levels and pill phase were not significantly associated with alcohol consumption. These findings provide preliminary data suggesting increased levels of EE from OC pills are associated with excessive alcohol consumption in women. Further research is needed to determine if EE plays a causal role in increased alcohol consumption. This line of research could inform female-specific AUD prevention and treatment strategies among the large subpopulation of women using hormonal contraceptives.

The risk of sexual dysfunction associated with alcohol consumption in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundAlcohol abuse among women is a significant health problem. Consuming alcohol in high amounts causes decreased sexual stimulation, vaginal lubrication, dyspareunia, and difficulty reaching orgasm. Due to the different effects of alcohol consumption on sexual function, this study aimed to investigate the effect of alcohol consumption on sexual dysfunction in women.MethodsIn this study, the researchers conducted a systematic search of several databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and ScienceDirect, as well as the Google Scholar search engine, to identify studies reporting the impact of alcohol consumption on female sexual dysfunction. The search was conducted up until July 2022. A total of 225 articles were searched in the databases, and an additional 10 relevant articles were identified through manual search. After removing 93 articles due to duplication, 90 articles were excluded based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. During the merit evaluation phase, 26 articles were excluded through the full-text study based on the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria, while 26 articles were excluded due to their low quality. Ultimately, only 7 studies were deemed suitable for the final evaluation. The analysis was conducted using a random effects model, while the heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using the I2 index. Data analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2 software.ResultsBased on the review of 7 studies involving a total sample size of 50,225 women and using the random effects method, the calculated odds ratio was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.006–3.04). This indicates that alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction in women by 74%. The Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation test, was used to analyze the distribution bias, but the results were not significant at the 0.1 significance level (p = 0.763).ConclusionThe findings of this study demonstrate a significant correlation between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of sexual dysfunction in women. These results highlight the need for policymakers to prioritize this issue and raise awareness regarding the harmful effects of alcohol consumption on female sexual function and its impact on population health and reproduction.

Differential effectiveness of a practice change intervention to improve antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption during pregnancy: Exploratory subgroup analyses within a randomised stepped-wedge controlled trial

ObjectiveA practice change intervention demonstrated improvements in the provision of antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to explore whether the effectiveness of the intervention differed between subgroups of pregnant women and types and location of maternity services. Design and SettingPost-hoc exploratory subgroup analyses of the outcomes from a randomised stepped-wedge controlled trial conducted with all public maternity services within three sectors of a local health district in Australia. MeasurementsTwo outcomes (receipt of alcohol assessment and complete care) measured at two visit types (initial and subsequent) were included in analyses. Logistic regression models explored interactions between pre-post differences and subgroups of women (age, Aboriginal origin, education level, disadvantage, gravidity and alcohol consumption in pregnancy) and services (geographic remoteness, service and provider type/s) that have been reported to be associated with variation in guideline implementation. FindingsSurveys from 5694 women were included in the analyses. For the initial visit, no significant differential intervention effects between subgroups of women or type/location of services were found for either outcome. For subsequent visits, the intervention effect differed significantly only between Aboriginal origin subgroups (Aboriginal OR: 1.95; 95% CI: 0.99-3.85; non-Aboriginal OR: 5.34; 95% CI: 4.17-6.83; p<0.01) and women's alcohol consumption in pregnancy subgroups (consumed alcohol OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.59-2.78; not consumed alcohol OR: 5.22; 95% CI: 4.11-6.65; p<0.001) for assessment of alcohol consumption. Key conclusionsThese exploratory results suggest that the intervention may have had similar effects between different subgroups of women and types and location of services, with the exception of women who were non-Aboriginal and women who had not consumed alcohol, for whom the intervention was potentially more effective. Implications for practiceThe practice change intervention could be implemented with different maternity service and provider types to effectively support improvements in antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption. These exploratory results provide further data for hypothesis generation regarding targeted areas for the testing of additional strategies that enable Aboriginal women to benefit equally from the intervention, and to ensure those women most in need of care, those consuming alcohol during pregnancy, have their care needs met.

Relationship Between Depression and Risky Alcohol Consumption in Women: the Mediating Role of Coping Styles and Age.

Women are more likely to use alcohol as a coping strategy for psychological distress, with higher rates of comorbidity with depression being found in those with an alcohol use disorder. The objective of this study was to analyze changes in problematic alcohol consumption and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown, and to establish a predictive model based on age. A total of 1889 women aged 18–64 years (M = 36.14) participated. The Patient Health Questionnaire was applied for depression, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Short Version for alcohol, and active and avoidant coping were considered. In the period prior to the pandemic, depression and avoidant coping were good predictors of alcohol consumption in women, regardless of age. During lockdown, this predictive capacity was only maintained in women aged 35–64 years. In the mediational models, differences were observed according to age. For women aged 18–34 years, depression was the predictor variable of problematic alcohol consumption, but for women aged 35–64 years it was the avoidant coping style, which is the predominant style in women of this age with clinical depression. The relevance of age in the combined treatments of depression and problematic alcohol consumption is highlighted, and training in active coping strategies is suggested.

Obesity Prevalence and Associated Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Health Behaviors in Russia and Norway.

Associations between obesity and socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics vary between populations. Exploring such differences should throw light on factors related to obesity. We examined associations between general obesity (GO, defined by body mass index) and abdominal obesity (AO, defined by waist-to-hip ratio) and sex, age, socio-economic characteristics (education, financial situation, marital status), smoking and alcohol consumption in women and men aged 40–69 years from the Know Your Heart study (KYH, Russia, N = 4121, 2015–2018) and the seventh Tromsø Study (Tromsø7, Norway, N = 17,646, 2015–2016). Age-standardized prevalence of GO and AO was higher in KYH compared to Tromsø7 women (36.7 vs. 22.0% and 44.2 vs. 18.4%, respectively) and similar among men (26.0 vs. 25.7% and 74.8 vs. 72.2%, respectively). The positive association of age with GO and AO was stronger in KYH vs. Tromsø7 women and for AO it was stronger in men in Tromsø7 vs. KYH. Associations between GO and socio-economic characteristics were similar in KYH and Tromsø7, except for a stronger association with living with spouse/partner in KYH men. Smoking had a positive association with AO in men in Tromsø7 and in women in both studies. Frequent drinking was negatively associated with GO and AO in Tromsø7 participants and positively associated with GO in KYH men. We found similar obesity prevalence in Russian and Norwegian men but higher obesity prevalence in Russian compared to Norwegian women. Other results suggest that the stronger association of obesity with age in Russian women is the major driver of the higher obesity prevalence among them compared to women in Norway.

Ethanol Exposure Up-Regulates PD-L1/PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Pathway and Promotes Mammary Tumor Development.

Alcohol consumption in women enhances breast cancer incidence and ethanol is the main causal factor. Compromised host immunity through immunosuppression facilitates the development of many types of cancer, including breast cancer. Immune cells in breast tissues, particularly tumor-infiltrating CD8 cytotoxic T cells, play a critical role in the host anti-tumor immunity against breast tumorigenesis. These cytotoxic T cells are the major immune cells to carry out anti-tumor immunity through their cytotoxic effector function, which can be regulated by immune checkpoint pathways. The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway (the interaction between programmed death-1, PD-1, and its ligand, programmed death-ligand 1, PD-L1) is the best characterized one. However, the effects of ethanol exposure on T cell anti-tumor immunity and how that may contribute to ethanol-enhanced mammary tumorigenicity remain unknown. FVB.Cg-Tg(Wnt1)1Hev/J transgenic mice develop spontaneous mammary tumors starting around the age of 2-3 months and have been a widely-used mouse model for breast cancer research. Using this mouse model, the current study determined the effects of ethanol on the PD-L1/PD-1 pathway and how that may contribute to mammary tumorigenesis. The results indicated that ethanol exposure enhanced mammary tumor formation accompanied with an up-regulation of PD-1/PD-L1 pathway (increased PD-L1 levels in tumor tissue cells and the amount of PD-1-expressing tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells) and inhibited T cell anti-tumor function, while inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 restored T cell anti-tumor effector function and mitigated ethanol-enhanced tumorigenesis.

Self-reported alcohol consumption of pregnant women and their partners correlates both before and during pregnancy: Acohort study with 21,472 singleton pregnancies.

BackgroundThe partners’ role in determining the alcohol consumption behavior of pregnant women is not well studied. We measured alcohol use before and during pregnancy in pregnant women and their partners to evaluate the correlation in their levels of consumption.MethodsWe evaluated the self‐reported alcohol use of 14,822 women and their partners during 21,472 singleton pregnancies delivered in Kuopio University Hospital, Finland during the period 2009‒2018. The information was gathered during pregnancy and at the time of childbirth and recorded in two databases that were merged to yield a single cohort. Missing data were accounted for by multiple imputation using the predictive mean matching method.ResultsIn 86% of the pregnancies, women reported alcohol use before pregnancy, whereas in 4.5% of the pregnancies women reported alcohol use during pregnancy. In contrast, no decrease was detected in their partners’ alcohol use before or during pregnancy. In 26% of the pregnancies, the woman reported stopping alcohol use only after recognizing that she was pregnant. Before pregnancy, there were strong correlations between the pregnant women and their partners in the total Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score (r s = 0.69, p < 0.0001) and the self‐reported average weekly amount of alcohol consumed (r s = 0.56, p < 0.0001). During pregnancy, there were weak correlations between the pregnant women and their partners in the frequency of drinking (r s = 0.20, p < 0.0001) and the average weekly amount of alcohol consumed (r s = 0.18, p < 0.0001).ConclusionsThe self‐reported alcohol consumption of pregnant women and their partners was positively correlated both before and during pregnancy, though the correlation declined substantially during pregnancy. Evaluating the alcohol consumption of both parents before pregnancy could assist in identifying women at risk of prenatal alcohol exposure. Supporting a reduction in partners' alcohol use could help to reduce pregnant women's alcohol consumption and prevent its associated harms.

'What makes up wine o'clock? Understanding social practices involved in alcohol use among women aged 40-65 years in Australia.

In the context of global declines in alcohol consumption, studies have recently shown that middle-aged women's alcohol use has increased in the past decade. Limited research has focused on this demographic group. We aimed to understand the perspectives of women aged 40-65 years on the role of alcohol in their lives and their motivations for consuming alcohol. We used social practice theory to identify distinctive assemblages of meanings, materials, competences and temporalities relating to alcohol use. We used qualitative methods incorporating Human Centred-Design principles into activity-based workshops. We conducted ten 3-hour workshops with a total of 39 women aged 40-65 years. We coded the transcribed data using the three original components of social practice theory - meanings, materials, competences as well as the fourth component of temporality. Women described their alcohol use as nuanced, with different meanings across contexts and settings. 'Wine o'clock' was the term used by many women to describe the practice of consuming wine as soon as they finished their day's duties. Women appeared conscious of representing their drinking as rational, measured and safe, particularly when discussing weekday use, and drinking alone. Women described it as an act of relaxation, and rationalised it as earned. Alcohol consumption on weekends was strongly tied to social connection. Alcohol was explicitly described as the means to see people socially and was also implicitly present in social gatherings such as lunches, barbecues and dinners on weekends. Although women rejected the notion of experiencing social pressures to consume alcohol, they also described needing excuses for not consuming alcohol, such as partaking in temporary abstinence periods such as Dry July. Our study describes how midlife women use alcohol to demarcate between duty and pleasure and for social connection. Prevention efforts which focus on social connection, relaxation and changing the discourse on alcohol's role in women's social lives may be beneficial for reducing women's alcohol consumption.

Pathways from childhood socioemotional characteristics and cognitive skills to midlife health behaviours

Objective This longitudinal study investigated the pathways from childhood socioemotional characteristics and cognitive skills to health behaviours in midlife. Methods: Participants in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) were followed from age 8 (n = 369) to age 50 (n = 271). Outcomes included physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI) assessed at ages 36, 42 and 50. Predictors were socioemotional characteristics (behavioural activity, negative emotionality, and well-controlled behaviour) and parents’ occupational status collected at age 8, cognitive skills (school success at age 14 and the highest education at age 27) and adulthood personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness). Longitudinal path modelling was used for analyses. Results: Well-controlled behaviour and extraversion predicted physical activity in women. Behavioural activity predicted alcohol consumption in women and smoking in men. Negative emotionality was not directly connected to health behaviours. Adulthood neuroticism was associated with smoking in men and with alcohol-related problems in both men and women. There were some indirect paths from childhood socioemotional characteristics to midlife health behaviours through cognitive skills. None of the study variables predicted midlife BMI. Conclusions: Childhood socioemotional characteristics have some predictive value on midlife health behaviours, both directly and through cognitive skills. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2022.2041639 .