Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Subgroups of adults who drink alcohol at low-risk levels: Diverse drinking patterns and demography
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Public Health Sciences, Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD). La Trobe University, Australia.
Number of Authors: 42020 (English)In: Drug and Alcohol Review, ISSN 0959-5236, E-ISSN 1465-3362, Vol. 39, no 7, p. 975-983Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Introduction. A significant minority of Australians drink within the 2009 national guidelines. Despite encouragement of low-risk drinking as opposed to consumption patterns associated with greater harm, little is known about the drinking patterns of this group. This paper identifies subgroups of low-risk drinkers and their distinguishable characteristics. Methods. Data were sourced from the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, specifically 8492 adults (18+) who consumed 1-730 Australian standard drinks (ASD; 10 g ethanol) in the past year, and never 5+ ASD on a single occasion. Cluster analysis enabled identification of subgroups from drinking variables. Drinking patterns, socio-demographic characteristics, drinking context and alcohol-related perceptions of subgroups were examined. Results. Three subgroups were identified.Special occasion drinkers(64.6%) drank low to moderate amounts very infrequently.Regular moderates(19.6%) andRegular sippers(15.8%) drank 5-6 days a week on average, with the average number of ASD per day 1.2 and 0.5, respectively.Special occasion drinkerstended to be younger than members of more regular drinking subgroups. Perceptions of regular alcohol use also differed betweenSpecial occasion drinkersand members of the other subgroups. Discussion. Alcohol consumption patterns among low-risk drinkers are not homogeneous. Younger drinkers who consume at low-risk levels are more likely to report infrequent consumption than moderate regular consumption. A better understanding of low-risk drinkers may help increase the prominence and acceptability of this type of drinking, challenge the normativity of heavier drinking norms and help target campaigns as new information emerges on health risks associated with low-level drinking.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2020. Vol. 39, no 7, p. 975-983
Keywords [en]
low-risk, alcohol consumption, subgroups, adults, socio-demographic characteristics
National Category
Drug Abuse and Addiction
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-185374DOI: 10.1111/dar.13133ISI: 000558327400001PubMedID: 32785946OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-185374DiVA, id: diva2:1476407
Available from: 2020-10-14 Created: 2020-10-14 Last updated: 2025-02-11Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textPubMed

Authority records

Room, Robin

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
MacLean, SarahRoom, Robin
By organisation
Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD)
In the same journal
Drug and Alcohol Review
Drug Abuse and Addiction

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn
Total: 57 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf