Carolin Kilian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto Jakob Manthey Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Jacek Moskalewicz Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw Fleur Braddick Addictions and Lifestyle Research Group, Clínic Foundation for Biomedical research (FCRB) / August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institut (IDIBAPS), Clínic Hospital, Barcelona Silvia Matrai Addictions and Lifestyle Research Group, Clínic Foundation for Biomedical research (FCRB) / August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institut (IDIBAPS), Clínic Hospital, Barcelona Hugo López-Pelayo Addictions and Lifestyle Research Group, Clínic Foundation for Biomedical research (FCRB) / August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institut (IDIBAPS), Clínic Hospital, Barcelona Jürgen Rehm Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto

Keywords: alcohol, drinking, socioeconomic status, education, gender, COVID-19

Abstract

Background: Alcohol’s detrimental health effects do not affect everyone equally but accumulate in people with low socioeconomic status (SES). Using data from the 2021 Standard European Alcohol Survey, we explore gender- and SES-specific consumption patterns, and COVID-19 related changes in consumption across Europe.

Methods: Cross-sectional population-based survey data from 54,354 adults from 33 European countries plus Spain-Catalonia were analysed. Five alcohol indicators were of interest: prevalence of past-year alcohol use; and, among past-year alcohol users, prevalence of monthly/more frequent risky-single-occasion-drinking (monthly+ RSOD); prevalence of high-risk alcohol use (40+/60+ grams pure alcohol daily for women/men); mean daily grams of pure alcohol consumed; and self-reported consumption changes during COVID-19. Alcohol indicators were age-standardised and decomposed by gender and SES (education attainment), and analysed using regression models with location-specific random intercepts.

Results: Across jurisdictions, past-year alcohol use, monthly+ RSOD, and high-risk drinking were all commonly reported, with distinct gender-specific socioeconomic profiles. While high-SES men and women were generally more likely to report past-year alcohol use, monthly+ RSOD and high-risk drinking were more prevalent among currently drinking low/mid-SES compared to high-SES men. No such SES differences in risky drinking were observed among women, however, female alcohol users with high SES reported higher mean daily drinking levels. High-SES women but not men were more likely to both increase and decrease their drinking during COVID-19 compared to their low/mid-SES counterparts.

Conclusion: High consumption levels and distinct socioeconomic profiles among men and women highlight the need for effective alcohol policies to reduce health inequalities in Europe.

How to Cite

Kilian, C., Manthey, J., Moskalewicz, J., Braddick, F., Matrai, S., López-Pelayo, H., & Rehm, J. (2023). The socioeconomic profile of alcohol use in Europe: findings from 33 European countries. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 11(1), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.407

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