Population group differences in binge drinking in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland

1
Population group differences in binge drinking in
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland

• Ville Helasoja, Eero Lahelma, Ritva Prättälä,
  Janina Petkeviciene, Iveta Pudule, Mare Tekkel
• National Public Health Institute (KTL),
  Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion,
  Helsinki, Finland
• ALCOHOL use, harms and policy
• A research-based Nordic-Baltic seminar
• Riga, Latvia 3-4.10.2005

2
Background

• ? Low recorded alcohol consumption but high
  alcohol-related harm
• ? Is the reason in the northern European drinking
  pattern ?
•  
• ? This pattern is known to contribute to
  socio-economic inequalities in health
•  
• ? Regulation of supply does not necessarily lead
  to diminished alcohol-related harm

3
Aims of this study

• 1. What is the overall sociodemographic
  patterning of frequent drinking in these four
  countries from 1994-2002?
•  
• 2. What kind of changes occurred from 1994-2002
  in the sociodemographic patterning of frequent
  drinking in these four countries?
•  
• 3. What is the overall sociodemographic
  patterning of binge drinking in these four
  countries from 2000-2002?

4
Material
? Cross-sectional postal surveys of
adult population in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and
2002
5
Alcohol consumption indicators

• 1. How many glasses (regular restaurant
  portions) or bottles of the following drinks have
  you consumed during the last week (7 days)? If
  you have not had any, mark 0, i. medium strong or
  strong beer __ bottles, ii. free-mixed highballs
  __ bottles, iii. strong alcohol, spirits __
  restaurant portions (4 cl.), iv. wine or
  equivalent __ glasses.
•  
• ? The criterion for a frequent drinker was at
  least 15 portions per week among men, and at
  least five portions per week among women.
•  
• 2. How often do you drink at least six (regular
  restaurant) portions of alcohol per one occasion?
  1) never, 2) less than once a month, 3) once a
  month, 4) once a week, 5) daily or almost daily.
•  
• ? The criterion for a binge drinker was six or
  more portions at least once a week among men, and
  at least once a month among women.

6
Sociodemographic factors

• ? gender
• ? age
• ? level of education
• ? level of urbanisation
• ? marital status
• ? ethnic origin

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Mean alcohol consumptionportions per week, men
portions/w
8
Mean alcohol consumptionportions per week, women
portions/w
9
Frequent drinking, men15 portions or more weekly

10
Frequent drinking, women5 portions or more weekly

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Frequent drinking by age men 15 por. or more,
women 5 por. or more
12
Frequent drinking by education men 15 por. or
more, women 5 por. or more
13
Binge drinking, menat least six portions per one
occasion

14
Binge drinking, women at least six portions per
one occasion

15
Binge drinking by agemen once a week, women
once a month
16
Binge drinking by education men once a week,
women once a month
17
Main findings

• ? Frequent drinking
• -patterning more consistent among women
• -mainly more common among younger,
  better-educated and urban
• -no major changes over time
•  
• ? Binge drinking
• -more common among less-educated Estonian and
  Latvian men and among younger and less-educated
  women in all countries.
•  
• ? In Latvia
• -both frequent drinking and binge drinking were
  more common among the less-educated

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Conclusions

• ? The less-advantaged groups are more often heavy
  drinkers and therefore have greater health risk.
•  
• ? Preventing excessive drinking among the young
  and less-educated women should be encouraged in
  the future alcohol policies

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Total alcohol consumptionlitres of 100 alcohol
per year