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Marzan MB, Callinan S, Livingston M, Jiang H. Modelling the impacts of volumetric and minimum unit pricing for alcohol on social harms in Australia. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 129:104502. [PMID: 38943908 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Alcohol pricing policies may reduce alcohol-related harms, yet little work has been done to model their effectiveness beyond health outcomes especially in Australia. We aim to estimate the impacts of four taxation and minimum unit pricing (MUP) interventions on selected social harms across sex and age subgroups in Australia. METHODS We used econometrics and epidemiologic simulations using demand elasticity and risk measures. We modelled four policies including (A) uniform excise rates (UER) (based on alcohol units) (B) MUP $1.30 on all alcoholic beverages (C) UER + 10 % (D) MUP$ 1.50. People who consumed alcohol were classified as (a) moderate (≤ 14 Australian standard drinks (SDs) per week) (b) Hazardous (15-42 SDs per week for men and 14-35 ASDs for women) and (c) Harmful (> 42 SDs per week for men and > 35 ASDs for women). Outcomes were sickness absence, sickness presenteeism, unemployment, antisocial behaviours, and police-reported crimes. We used relative risk functions from meta-analysis, cohort study, cross-sectional survey, or attributable fractions from routine criminal records. We applied the potential impact fraction to estimate the reduction in social harms by age group and sex after implementation of pricing policies. RESULTS All four modelled pricing policies resulted in a decrease in the overall mean baseline of current alcohol consumption, primarily due to fewer people drinking harmful amounts. These policies also reduced the total number of crimes and workplace harms compared to the current taxation system. These reductions were consistent across all age and sex subgroups. Specifically, sickness absence decreased by 0.2-0.4 %, alcohol-related sickness presenteeism by 7-9 %, unemployment by 0.5-0.7 %, alcohol-related antisocial behaviours by 7.3-11.1 %, and crimes by 4-6 %. Of all the policies, the implementation of a $1.50 MUP resulted in the largest reductions across most outcome measures. CONCLUSION Our results highlight that alcohol pricing policies can address the burden of social harms in Australia. However, pricing policies should just form part of a comprehensive alcohol policy approach along with other proven policy measures such as bans on aggressive marketing of alcoholic products and enforcing the restrictions on the availability of alcohol through outlet density regulation or reduced hours of sale to have a more impact on social harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvin Barrientos Marzan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Newborn Health, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heng Jiang
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Tscharke B, Livingston M, O'Brien JW, Bade R, Thomas KV, Mueller JF, Hall W, Simpson BS, Jaunay E, Gerber C, White JM, Thai PK. Seven-years of alcohol consumption in Australia by wastewater analysis: Exploring patterns by remoteness and socioeconomic factors. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 259:111317. [PMID: 38692136 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wastewater analysis provides a complementary measure of alcohol use in whole communities. We assessed absolute differences and temporal trends in alcohol consumption by degree of remoteness and socioeconomics indicators in Australia from 2016 to 2023. METHODS Alcohol consumption estimates from 50 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in the Australian National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program were used. Trends were analysed based on 1) site remoteness: Major Cities, Inner Regional and a combined remoteness category of Outer Regional and Remote, and 2) using two socioeconomic indexes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) relating to advantage and disadvantage for Income, education, occupation, and housing. RESULTS Consumption estimates were similar for Major Cities and Inner Regional areas (14.3 and 14.4L/day/1000 people), but significantly higher in Outer Regional and Remote sites (18.6L/day/1000 people). Consumption was decreasing in Major cities by 4.5% annually, Inner Regional by 2.4%, and 3.5% in the combined Outer Regional and Remote category. Consumption estimates were higher in socioeconomically advantaged quartiles than those of lower advantage (0%-25% mean = 13.0, 75%-100% mean = 17.4). Consumption in all quartiles decreased significantly over the 7 year period with annual rates of decrease of 0.9%, 3.7%, 3.6%, and 3.0% for the lowest to highest quartile, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Declines in Australian alcohol consumption have been steeper in large urban areas than regional and remote areas. There were smaller annual decreases in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. If continued, these trends may increase Australian health inequalities. Policy and prevention work should be appropriately targeted to produce more equitable long-term outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Michael Livingston
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Jake W O'Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Richard Bade
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wayne Hall
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research (NCYSUR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Bradley S Simpson
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Emma Jaunay
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Cobus Gerber
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Jason M White
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Phong K Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
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Cerocchi N, Mojica-Perez Y, Livingston M, Arunogiri S, Pennay A, Callinan S. Examining the association between psychological distress and alcohol use in Australian adolescents over a period of declining consumption. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024; 43:633-642. [PMID: 37399136 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Youth drinking rates have declined over the past 15 years while self-reported psychological distress has increased, despite a well-recognised positive relationship between the two. The current study aimed to identify changes in the relationship between psychological distress and alcohol use in adolescents from 2007 to 2019. METHODS This study used survey responses from 6543 Australians aged 14-19 years who completed the National Drug Strategy Household Survey in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 or 2019. Logistic and multivariable linear regressions with interactions (psychological distress × survey wave) predicted any alcohol consumption, short-term risk and average quantity of standard drinks consumed per day. RESULTS Psychological distress was a positive predictor of alcohol use and this association remained stable across survey waves as alcohol consumption decreased. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The relationship between distress and alcohol consumption remained relatively steady, even as youth drinking declined and distress increased. The proportion of drinkers experiencing distress did not increase as consumption rates dropped, suggesting that the decline in youth drinking is occurring independently of the increase in self-reported and diagnosed mental health issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Cerocchi
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yvette Mojica-Perez
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shalini Arunogiri
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Zhang ZX, Xie L, Li Z. Global, regional, and national burdens of facial fractures: a systematic analysis of the global burden of Disease 2019. BMC Oral Health 2024; 24:282. [PMID: 38418992 PMCID: PMC10900718 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04048-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of facial fractures has undergone tremendous changes in recent years as a result of socio-economic development and aging populations. Currently, there is a lack of updated and comprehensive analyses of global trends and causes of facial fractures. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database is a product of a global research organization used to quantify the global impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. The aim of this study was to update global burden of facial fractures from 1990 to 2019 by using the GBD2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study extracted the global incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for facial fractures, as well as the age-standardized rates (ASRs) of these variables using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was used to assess the trends of ASRs. RESULTS Between 1990 and 2019, the incidence of facial fractures increased from 8,943,707 to 10,676,340, but the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) decreased from 161.5 to 138.8 per 100,000. Prevalence and YLDs exhibited the same trend as incidence. Over the 30 years, the incidence of facial fractures was consistently greater in males than in females. However, females aged ˃ 75 years had higher fracture incidence rates than males aged ˃ 75 years in 2019. The leading cause of facial fractures was falls, and both the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and age-standardized years lived with disability rate (ASYR) of falls increased with age. CONCLUSION Facial fractures still represent a significant burden to the world. Incidence, prevalence and YLDs all showed increasing trends, while ASRs decreased gradually from 1990 to 2019. Enhancing the quality of facial fractures data is helpful for monitoring the burden of facial fractures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Xing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Long Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430079, China.
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Torney A, Room R, Jiang H, Livingston M, Callinan S. Shifts in the Australian public's opinions towards alcohol policies: 2004-2019. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023; 42:1785-1795. [PMID: 37523328 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION After a period of stagnation, alcohol policy in Australia has received increased attention in the past decade, with Sydney's lockout laws and Queensland's restrictions on trading hours garnering media attention. This study will investigate any changing trends in support towards alcohol policy and identify any demographic-specific shifts. METHODS Respondents from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (conducted every 3 years from 2004 to 2019) were asked to gauge their level of support for 16 alcohol policy items proposed to reduce the problems associated with excessive alcohol use. Mean levels of support for various policy options, as well as demographic predictors of support, were assessed. RESULTS After an increase from 2004 to 2013, support for more evidence-based policies on alcohol (e.g., restricting the availability of alcohol) has decreased since 2013. Support for policy items that focus less on the restriction of the availability of alcohol and more on education remained relatively stable in comparison. While demographic groups continue to vary in their extent of support, shifts appear to be occurring fairly uniformly across sex, age, states and drinking groups. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Support for public health-oriented alcohol policies has been decreasing since 2013. The introduction of high-profile policies and less of a media focus on alcohol may be contributing to decreases in support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Torney
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robin Room
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heng Jiang
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Taylor N, Miller P, Coomber K, Livingston M, Jiang H, Buykx P, Scott D, Baldwin R, Chikritzhs T. Estimating the impact of the minimum alcohol price on consumers' alcohol expenditure in the Northern Territory, Australia. Aust N Z J Public Health 2023:100053. [PMID: 37202337 DOI: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE From October 2018, the Northern Territory (NT) government introduced a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol of $1.30 per standard drink. We assessed industry claims that the MUP penalised all drinkers by examining the alcohol expenditure of drinkers not targeted by the policy. METHODS Participants recruited by a market research company using phone sampling (n=766, 15% consent fraction) completed a survey in 2019, post-MUP. Participants reported their drinking patterns and their preferred liquor brand. Estimated annual alcohol expenditure for each participant was calculated by collating the cheapest advertised price per standard drink of their preferred brand pre-and-post-MUP. Participants were grouped as consuming within the Australian drinking guidelines ("moderate") or over them ("heavy"). RESULTS Based on post-MUP drinking patterns, moderate consumers had an average annual alcohol expenditure of AU$327.66 (CIs=325.61, 329.71) pre-MUP, which increased by AU$3.07 (0.94%) post-MUP. Heavy consumers had an estimated average annual alcohol expenditure of AU$2898.82 (CIs=2877.06, 2920.58) pre-MUP, which increased by AU$37.12 (1.28%). CONCLUSIONS The MUP policy was associated with an increase of AU$3.07 in alcohol annual expenditure for moderate consumers. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH This article provides evidence that counters the alcohol industry's messaging, enabling an evidence-based discussion in an area dominated by vested interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Taylor
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Peter Miller
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, Geelong, Australia
| | - Kerri Coomber
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, Geelong, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Heng Jiang
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Penny Buykx
- The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Debbie Scott
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia; Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ryan Baldwin
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, Geelong, Australia
| | - Tanya Chikritzhs
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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Livingston M, Callinan S, Pennay A, Yuen WS, Taylor N, Dietze P. Generational shifts in attitudes and beliefs about alcohol: An age-period-cohort approach. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 243:109755. [PMID: 36630806 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Population level alcohol consumption has declined markedly in Australia in the past two decades, with distinct generational patterns. The underlying reason for this shift remains unclear and there has been little work assessing how attitudes and beliefs about alcohol have shifted in population sub-groups. DESIGN AND METHODS Using seven waves of survey data spanning 19 years (2001-2019, n = 166,093 respondents aged 14 +), we assess age, time-period and birth cohort effects on trends in four measures of alcohol attitudes (disapproval of regular alcohol use, perceptions of safe drinking levels for men and women and perception that alcohol causes the most deaths of any drug in Australia). RESULTS There were steady increases in period effects for perceived safe drinking levels (especially for men) and belief that alcohol causes the most deaths. Disapproval of regular use has been stable at the population level, but there are marked cohort differences, with early and recent cohorts more likely than others to disapprove of regular alcohol use. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS These findings point to a broad lowering of perceived safe levels of drinking across the population alongside a sharp increase in disapproval of drinking for recent cohorts, potentially contributing to the reductions in drinking that have been reported in these cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Wing See Yuen
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicholas Taylor
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
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Livingston M, Raninen J, Pennay A, Callinan S. The relationship between age at first drink and later risk behaviours during a period of youth drinking decline. Addiction 2023; 118:256-264. [PMID: 36043343 PMCID: PMC10087810 DOI: 10.1111/add.16036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Alcohol consumption among teenagers in many high-income countries has steadily declined since the early 2000s. There has also been a steady increase in the average age at first drink, a reliable marker of later alcohol problems. This study measured whether young people who initiated drinking early were at increased risk of alcohol problems in young adulthood in recent cohorts where early initiation was comparatively rare. DESIGN Analysis of six waves of a repeated cross-sectional household survey (2001-16). SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS A total of 9576 young adults (aged 20-25 years) who had initiated drinking before the age of 20 years. MEASUREMENTS Respondents were classified into three groups based on their self-reported age at first drink (< 16, 16-17, 18-19 years). Outcome variables were self-reported experiences of memory loss while drinking, risky and delinquent behaviour while drinking and monthly or more frequent drinking occasions of 11 or more 10-g standard drinks. FINDINGS Later initiators reported lower levels of all outcomes [e.g. odds ratios (ORs) for memory loss were 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50, 0.63] for those who first drank at 16 or 17 years compared with those who first drank at age 15 or younger). Significant interactions between age at first drink and survey year showed that early initiation was more strongly associated with harms (e.g. for memory loss, OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.94, 0.99 for 18-19 versus 15 or younger) in young adulthood for recent cohorts where early drinking was less common. CONCLUSIONS The decline in youth drinking may have contributed to a concentration of risk of alcohol problems among those young people who consume alcohol in early adolescence. Early initiation of drinking may be an increasingly important marker of broader risk taking as alcohol becomes less normative for teenagers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- National Drug Research Institute and enAble Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Raninen
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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O’Donnell R, Livingston M, Room R, Mojica-Perez Y, Callinan S. Disparities in definitions of drinker type and related harms: self-identified and researcher-defined drinker type and alcohol-related consequences. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2021.1961324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Renee O’Donnell
- Health and Social Care Unit, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robin Room
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yvette Mojica-Perez
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Leggat G, Livingston M, Kuntsche S, Callinan S. Alcohol consumption trajectories over the Australian life course. Addiction 2022; 117:1931-1939. [PMID: 35188297 PMCID: PMC9311147 DOI: 10.1111/add.15849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alcohol consumption changes markedly over the life course, with important implications for health and social development. Assessment of these patterns often relies on cross-sectional data, which cannot fully capture how individuals' drinking changes as they age. This study used data from 18 waves of a general population panel survey to measure drinking trajectories over the life course in Australia. DESIGN AND SETTING Longitudinal survey data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey between 2001 and 2018. PARTICIPANTS A total of 20 593 individuals ages 15 or above in two samples assessing quantity-frequency (n = 20 569, 52.0% female) and risky single occasion drinking (RSOD), respectively, (n = 17 340, 52.5% female), interviewed as part of HILDA. MEASUREMENTS Usual quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion; frequency of drinking occasions per week; average daily consumption, calculated by combining reported usual quantity and frequency; and average reported frequency of RSOD per week. FINDINGS Multilevel, mixed effects models run with fractional polynomial terms found similar male and female alcohol consumption trajectories for quantity-frequency and RSOD measures. Usual quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion (5.4 drinks for men, 3.8 for women) and RSOD frequency (0.56 occasions/week for men, 0.38 for women) peaked in young adulthood, whereas frequency of drinking occasions (2.5 occasions/week for men, 1.7 for women) peaked in middle age. Middle-age drinkers had the highest average daily consumption of alcohol (1.4 drinks/day for 54-year-old men, 0.6 drinks for 57-year-old women) and engaged in RSOD slightly less than young adults. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol consumption in Australia appears to vary substantially over the life course, with usual quantity per drinking occasion and frequency of risky single occasion drinking peaking during early adulthood and average daily consumption and frequency of consumption peaking in middle age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Leggat
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR)La Trobe UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR)La Trobe UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia,National Drug Research InstituteCurtin UniversityPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia,Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSödermanland and UpplandSweden
| | - Sandra Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR)La Trobe UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR)La Trobe UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Chan GCK, Sun T, Lim C, Stjepanović D, Rutherford B, Johnson B, Hall W, Leung J. Did the under-reporting of meth/amphetamine use increase in a general population survey in Australia as negative media coverage increased? Addiction 2022; 117:1787-1793. [PMID: 34928522 DOI: 10.1111/add.15783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIM To test (1) if there was a change in self-reported lifetime prevalence of meth/amphetamine use by birth cohort and (2) if the extent of under-reporting of meth/amphetamine use was associated with the proportion of the population who nominated meth/amphetamine as a drug problem. DESIGN Observational study using seven waves of repeated cross-sectional nationally representative household surveys between 2001 and 2019. SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS Participants were from three birth cohorts: 1951-60 (age 68-77 at the 2019 survey; n = 29 458; 55% female), 1961-1970 (age 58-67; n = 29 859; 57% female) and 1971-1980 (age 48-57; n = 28 758; 59% female). Data were weighted to align the sample to the Australian population. MEASUREMENTS Past year meth/amphetamine use; under-reporting of lifetime meth/amphetamine use in each birth cohort, year and survey stratum (operationalised as the difference between self-reported lifetime prevalence in 2001 and that of each subsequent year); proportion of the population who nominated meth/amphetamine as a drug problem in each birth cohort, year and survey stratum. Under-reporting was regressed on the proportion of people holding negative attitude towards meth/amphetamine. Survey year and birth cohort were adjusted for. FINDINGS Between 2001 and 2019, the lifetime prevalence of meth/amphetamine decreased from 6.1% (95% CI = 5.3-6.9) to 1.7% (95% CI = 1.2-2.2) in the 1951-1960 birth cohort (p < 0.001), from 13.0% (95% CI = 12.0-14.1) to 4.4% (95% CI = 3.7-5.2) in the 1961-1970 birth cohort (p < 0.001) and from 21.4% (95% CI = 19.9-22.9) to 11.2% (95% CI = 10.0-12.4) in the 1971-1980 birth cohort (p < 0.001). The proportion who nominated meth/amphetamine as a 'drug problem' increased significantly in all three cohorts (all p < 0.001) and the degree of under-reporting of meth/amphetamine use was significantly associated with proportion of people who nominated meth/amphetamine as the 'drug problem' (b = 0.09, SE = 0.01, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION In Australia, the actual prevalence of lifetime meth/amphetamine use may be two- to fourfold higher than that estimated in the most recent national household surveys (2019). The level of under-reporting is strongly associated with increasing negative attitudes towards methylamphetamine and d-amphetamine use over the same period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary C K Chan
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Tianze Sun
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Carmen Lim
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Daniel Stjepanović
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Brienna Rutherford
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Benjamin Johnson
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Wayne Hall
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Janni Leung
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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12
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Miller M, Mojica-Perez Y, Livingston M, Kuntsche E, Wright CJC, Kuntsche S. The who and what of women's drinking: Examining risky drinking and associated socio-demographic factors among women aged 40-65 years in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2022; 41:724-731. [PMID: 35081266 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent trends in Australian national survey data show an increase in alcohol use among middle-aged people, amidst declines in alcohol use among other population groups. There is limited research, however, on middle-aged women's alcohol use. This study aimed to examine patterns in alcohol use among Australian women aged 40-65 and the associated sociodemographic and contextual factors. METHODS Cross-sectional data from six waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2001-2019). We estimated the prevalence of long-term risky drinking (>2 Australian standard drinks per day) and risky-single occasion drinking (>5 Australian standard drinks on one occasion) among middle-aged women. Logistic regression models were estimated using 2019 data to examine demographic characteristics and contextual factors associated with alcohol use. RESULTS Since 2001, there has been a statistically significant increase in long-term risky drinking and risky-single occasion drinking amongst middle-aged women in Australia. Educational attainment, marital status and employment status were negatively associated with risky drinking, whereas rurality, age and location of use were positively associated with risky drinking. Beverage type was both positively and negatively associated with risky drinking. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Given the significant increase in alcohol use amongst middle-aged women in Australia, prevention efforts are needed for this group, which may focus in particular on home drinking and the impact of rurality on alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Miller
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Yvette Mojica-Perez
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Cassandra J C Wright
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sandra Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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13
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Mojica-Perez Y, Callinan S, Livingston M. Declines in alcohol consumption in Australia: some challenges to the theory of collectivity. Addiction 2022; 117:1295-1303. [PMID: 34817101 DOI: 10.1111/add.15757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS There is significant debate about whether or not changes in per-capita alcohol consumption occur collectively across the entire distribution of drinking. This study used data from a decade of declining drinking in Australia to test the collectivity of drinking trends. DESIGN Repeated cross-sectional surveys (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019), analysed with quantile regression techniques assessing trends in drinking for 20 quantile groups. SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS A general population sample (total n = 85 891; males = 39 182, females = 46 709) aged 14 years and over. MEASUREMENTS Past-year volume of alcohol consumed was measured using standard graduated frequency survey questions. Models were stratified by sex and age group. FINDINGS Throughout the whole population, alcohol consumption had declined in all percentile groups, with the largest proportional declines evident for light and moderate drinkers [e.g. drinkers in the 25th percentile declined by 32.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -41.6, -22.3% per wave]. Broadly collective declines were also found for younger men and women with significant declines in every percentile group, but older groups showed some evidence of polarization. For example, women aged 45-64 years significantly increased their consumption (2.9% per wave, 95% CI = 0.3-5.5%), while consumption for those in the 25th percentile fell significantly (-16.7%, 95% CI = -27.6, -4.2%). CONCLUSIONS The declines in Australian drinking since 2010 have included important deviations from the collectivity predicted by Skog's influential theory of collectivity of drinking, with markedly different patterns evident among different demographic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Mojica-Perez
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.,National Drug Research Institute and enAble Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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14
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Livingston M, Callinan S, Vashishtha R, Yuen WS, Dietze P. Tracking the decline in Australian adolescent drinking into adulthood. Addiction 2022; 117:1273-1281. [PMID: 34697846 DOI: 10.1111/add.15720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Adolescent drinking in Australia (and many other countries) has declined substantially since the early 2000s. This study aimed to test whether these declines have been maintained into adulthood and whether they are consistent across sub-groups defined by sex and socio-economic status. DESIGN Quasi-cohorts were constructed from seven repeated waves of cross-sectional household survey data (2001-2019). SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS A total of 20 733 respondents age between 14 and 24 (male: 9492; female: 11 241). MEASUREMENTS Participants were grouped into five cohorts based on their birth year (from 1979-1983 to 1999-2003). Three measures of drinking were assessed: any past-year consumption (yes/no), past-year regular risky drinking (12 or more drinking episodes of >40 g of pure alcohol, yes/no) and total volume of alcohol consumed in the past year (in Australian standard drinks, 10 g of alcohol). Socio-economic status was measured based on neighbourhood of residence. FINDINGS Drinking declines were consistent across socio-economic groups on all measures and trends were broadly similar for women and men. More recent birth cohorts had significantly lower levels of drinking across all three measures (odds ratios between 0.31 and 0.70 for drinking and risky drinking, coefficients between -0.28 and -0.80 for drinking volume). There were significant interactions between birth cohort and age for past-year drinking and past-year regular risky drinking, with cohort differences diminishing as age increased. CONCLUSIONS Lighter drinking adolescent cohorts appear to partly 'catch up' to previous cohorts by early adulthood, but maintain lower levels of drinking and risky drinking up to the age of 24. These ongoing reductions in drinking are spread evenly across socio-economic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne Office), Curtin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rakhi Vashishtha
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Duke National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore
| | - Wing See Yuen
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne Office), Curtin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Behaviours and Health Risks, The Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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15
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Newton NC, Stapinski LA, Slade T, Sunderland M, Barrett EL, Champion KE, Chapman C, Smout A, Lawler SM, Mather M, Debenham J, Castellanos-Ryan N, Conrod PJ, Teesson M. The 7-Year Effectiveness of School-Based Alcohol Use Prevention From Adolescence to Early Adulthood: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Universal, Selective, and Combined Interventions. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 61:520-532. [PMID: 34823025 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alcohol use is a leading cause of burden of disease among young people. Prevention strategies can be effective in the short-term; however little is known about their longer-term effectiveness. The aim of this study was to examine the sustainability of universal, selective, and combined alcohol use prevention across the critical transition period from adolescence into early adulthood. METHOD In 2012, a total of 2190 students (mean age, 13.3 years) from 26 Australian high schools participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial and were followed up for 3 years post baseline. Schools were randomly assigned to deliver the following: (1) universal Web-based prevention for all students (Climate Schools); (2) selective prevention for high-risk students (Preventure); (3) combined universal and selective prevention (Climate Schools and Preventure [CAP]); or (4) health education as usual (control). This study extends the follow-up period to 7-years post baseline. Primary outcomes were self-reported frequency of alcohol consumption and binge drinking, alcohol-related harms, and hazardous alcohol use, at the 7-year follow-up. RESULTS At 7-year follow-up, students in all 3 intervention groups reported reduced odds of alcohol-related harms compared to the control group (odds ratios [ORs] = 0.13-0.33), and the Climate (OR = 0.04) and Preventure (OR = 0.17) groups reported lower odds of hazardous alcohol use. The Preventure group also reported lower odds of weekly alcohol use compared to the control group (OR = 0.17), and the Climate group reported lower odds of binge drinking (OR = 0.12), holding mean baseline levels constant. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that both universal and selective preventive interventions delivered in schools can have long-lasting effects and reduce risky drinking and related harms into adulthood. No added benefit was observed by delivering the combined interventions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION The CAP Study: Evaluating a Comprehensive Universal and Targeted Intervention Designed to Prevent Substance Use and Related Harms in Australian Adolescents; https://www.anzctr.org.au/; ACTRN12612000026820.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola C Newton
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia.
| | - Lexine A Stapinski
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Tim Slade
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew Sunderland
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Emma L Barrett
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Katrina E Champion
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Cath Chapman
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Anna Smout
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Siobhan M Lawler
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Marius Mather
- Sydney Informatics Hub, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jennifer Debenham
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Natalie Castellanos-Ryan
- University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Sainte Justine Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Patricia J Conrod
- University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Sainte Justine Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maree Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
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16
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Chan G, Sun T, Lim C, Yuen WS, Stjepanović D, Rutherford B, Hall W, Johnson B, Leung J. An age-period-cohort analysis of trends in psychedelic and ecstasy use in the Australian population. Addict Behav 2022; 127:107216. [PMID: 34979428 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM To test the age, cohort, and period effect on past-year use trends in psychedelic drugs and ecstasy. METHOD Data were from a repeated cross-sectional nationally representative household survey in Australia conducted every three years between 2001 and 2019. An age-period-cohort model was used to test the effect of age, birth cohort, and period on past year psychedelic and ecstasy use. Participants were between 18 and 80 years old at the time of the survey. The total sample size was 149,296 (Mean age = 45.8; 56% female). Past-year use of psychedelics and ecstasy were the key outcome variables. There were six birth cohorts that were derived in each survey: 1936-50, 1951-60, 1961-70, 1971-80, 1981-90, and 1991-2001. There were seven periods that coincided with survey years: 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019. Age was treated as continuous. RESULTS Past-year use of both psychedelics and ecstasy decreased with age, b = -0.87, 95% CI [-1.14, -0.61] and b = -0.84, 95% CI [-1.08, -0.60]. For ecstasy, while there was significant variation across periods (p < .001), there was no obvious trend. There was a significant birth cohort effect (p < .001), with prevalence increasing from the 1936-50 cohort, peaking in the 1971-80 cohort and then decreasing in the 1991-2001 cohort. For psychedelics, there was significant variation across periods (p < .001) with an upward trend. There was a significant birth cohort effect (p < .001), with prevalence increasing from the 1936-50 cohort to similarly high prevalence for the three most recent cohorts (1971-80, 1981-90, 1991-2001). CONCLUSION There were strong cohort and period effects in trends in the use of psychedelic and ecstasy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Chan
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Tianze Sun
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Carmen Lim
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Wing See Yuen
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Wayne Hall
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ben Johnson
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Janni Leung
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, Brisbane, Australia
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17
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Nascimento DZD, Marques GM, Schuelter-Trevisol F. Potential interactions between psychotropic drugs and alcohol and tobacco dependence. BRAZ J PHARM SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/s2175-97902022e20401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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18
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O'Brien H, Callinan S, Livingston M, Doyle JS, Dietze PM. Population patterns in Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores in the Australian population; 2007-2016. Aust N Z J Public Health 2020; 44:462-467. [PMID: 33104260 DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.13043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite widespread use of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), there are no published contemporary population-level scores for Australia. We examined population-level AUDIT scores and hazardous drinking for Australia over the period 2007-2016. METHODS Total population, age- and gender-specific AUDIT scores, and the percentage of the population with an AUDIT score of 8 or more (indicating hazardous drinking), were derived from four waves of the nationally representative National Drug Strategy Household Survey, weighted to approximate the Australian population. RESULTS In 2016, the mean AUDIT score was 4.58, and 22.22% of the population scored ≥8. Both measures remained stable from 2007 to 2010 but declined in 2013 and 2016. Scores were highest in those aged 18-24 years, the lowest in those aged 14-17 or 60+. A downward trend in AUDIT scores was seen in younger age groups, while the 40-59 and 60+ groups increased or did not change. CONCLUSIONS Despite an overall decline in AUDIT scores, nearly one-quarter of Australians reported hazardous drinking. Implications for public health: The marked declines in hazardous drinking among young people are positive, but trends observed among those aged 40-59 and 60+ years suggests targeted interventions for older Australians are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Victoria
| | | | - Joseph S Doyle
- Burnet Institute, Victoria.,Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Monash University, Victoria
| | - Paul M Dietze
- Burnet Institute, Victoria.,School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria.,National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
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19
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Callinan S, Pennay A, Livingston M, Kuntsche E. Patterns of alcohol consumption in 16 cohorts of Australian young adults aged 15-24 between 2001 and 2016. Addiction 2020; 115:1452-1458. [PMID: 31863521 DOI: 10.1111/add.14942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Repeated cross-sectional surveys have identified substantial declines in adolescent drinking in Australia and some other countries in recent years. There is debate about whether these declines will be maintained as the cohort ages. This study modelled alcohol consumption over time to check for cohort effects reflecting a decrease in youth consumption, and then used this model to predict how decreases in youth drinking will be sustained through to adulthood. DESIGN Longitudinal study using data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey from 2001 to 2016. Piecewise latent growth models were estimated to assess consumption trajectories for each birth cohort from ages 15-18 and 18-24 years. SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS This study focused on 5320 (51.9% female) respondents aged between 15 and 22 in wave 1 (2001) to those aged between 17 and 24 in wave 16 (2016). MEASUREMENT Annual volume of alcohol consumption was calculated as the product of the quantity per occasion and the frequency of drinking expanded to represent drinking occasions per year. FINDINGS The model with best fit suggested that consumption increased rapidly [b = 0.667, standard error (SE) = 0.046, P < 0.001] until the legal drinking age of 18 and then plateaued (b = -0.027, SE = 0.016, P = 0.088). More recent cohorts start with significantly lower levels of consumption (b = -0.145, SE = 0.010; P < 0.001) but increase at a faster rate (b = 0.022, SE = 0.003, P < 0.001) between 15 and 18; however, not enough to catch up to earlier cohorts. CONCLUSION Recent decreases in adolescent drinking in Australia may, at least in part, be attributed to lower consumption in recent cohorts of younger drinkers. Results indicate that this group may continue to drink less than previous cohorts as they age into their twenties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.,Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.,Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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20
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Jiang H, Griffiths S, Callinan S, Livingston M, Vally H. Prevalence and sociodemographic factors of risky drinking in Australian older adults. Drug Alcohol Rev 2020; 39:684-693. [PMID: 33463811 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS This study describes the prevalence of risky drinking in older adults (aged 60+ years) in Australia and explores the socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with this. The negative consequences of drinking behaviours in older adults were also explored. DESIGN AND METHODS Cross-sectional design, with data obtained from the Australian 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, yielding a sample size of 7976 participants. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the correlates of risky drinking. RESULTS Approximately 17% of older Australians reported risky drinking and their most popular drinking location was in the home (93%). Respondents who were male [odds ratio 3.78, 95% confidence interval (3.22, 4.43)], of younger age group (60-69 years) [2.96, (2.25, 3.89)], in a higher socioeconomic status [1.76, (1.41, 2.21)], had no dependents [1.51, (1.10, 2.07)], were unemployed [1.64, (1.10, 2.44)] and were either current or ex-smokers [2.32, (1.90, 2.83) or 3.55, (2.95, 4.29)], were more likely to report risky drinking. Approximately 54% of risky drinkers experienced a negative outcome as a result of their drinking in the last year. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Risky drinking in older adults is a key public health issue, with a concerning rate of risky drinking and associated negative outcomes seen in the current study. Interventions aimed at older drinkers thus need to focus beyond socio-economically disadvantaged groups, while self-moderation on risky drinking, controlling accessibility to take-away alcohol and increasing the awareness of harms of risky drinking may help to reduce risky drinking among older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Jiang
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Susan Griffiths
- Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hassan Vally
- Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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21
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Baker J, Masood M, Rahman MA, Begg S. Levels of support for the licensing of tobacco retailers in Australia: findings from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2004-2016. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:773. [PMID: 32448121 PMCID: PMC7247215 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-08920-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Assessing public opinion towards tobacco policies is important, particularly when determining the possible direction of future public health policies. The aim of this study was to describe the implementation of tobacco retailer licensing systems by state and territory governments in Australia, and to use the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) to assess levels of public support for a retailer licensing system in each jurisdiction over time and by a range of socio-demographic and behavioural attributes. Methods National and state/territory estimates of public support for a tobacco retailer licensing system were derived as proportions using NDSHS data from 2004 to 2016. The effect of one’s jurisdiction of residence on the likelihood of supporting such an initiative in 2016 was assessed using logistic regression while controlling for various socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics. Results Public support for a tobacco retailer licensing system ranged from a high of 67.2% (95% CI 66.5–67.9%) nationally in 2007 and declined to 59.5% (95% CI 58.9–60.2%) in 2016. In 2016, support was greatest amongst those from Tasmania, those aged 50 years and older, females, those from the least disadvantaged areas, those living in major cities, never-smokers and never-drinkers. After adjusting for the socio-demographic and behavioural attributes of respondents, those from Queensland were significantly less likely to support a licensing system (adjusted OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.77–0.94) compared to those from other jurisdictions, while those from Tasmania were significantly more likely to support a licensing system compared to those from other jurisdictions (adjusted OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.09–1.52). Conclusions A clear majority of the public support a tobacco retailer licensing system, regardless of whether or not such a system is already in place in their jurisdiction of residence. Tobacco control initiatives other than a retailer licensing system may explain some of the residual variations in support observed between jurisdictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Baker
- Rural Department of Community Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, P.O Box 199, Bendigo, VIC, 3552, Australia.
| | - Mohd Masood
- Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC, Australia
| | - Muhammad Aziz Rahman
- School of Nursing and Healthcare Professions, Federation University Australia, Berwick, VIC, Australia.,School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephen Begg
- Rural Department of Community Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, P.O Box 199, Bendigo, VIC, 3552, Australia
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22
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Mojica‐Perez Y, Callinan S, Livingston M. Examining beverage‐specific trends in youth drinking in Australia before and after the implementation of the alcopops tax. Drug Alcohol Rev 2020; 39:246-254. [DOI: 10.1111/dar.13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University Melbourne Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University Melbourne Australia
- Department of NeuroscienceKarolinska Institutet Stockholm Sweden
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23
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Livingston M, Holmes J, Oldham M, Vashishtha R, Pennay A. Trends in the sequence of first alcohol, cannabis and cigarette use in Australia, 2001-2016. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 207:107821. [PMID: 31927161 PMCID: PMC7614940 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent analyses of data from the US found that young people were increasingly engaging in cannabis use before alcohol and cigarettes. These shifts are important for public health, but it is not clear whether such trends extend beyond the US. The aim of this study is to examine whether and how the age and sequencing of initiation into alcohol, cannabis and cigarette use has changed in Australia since the early 2000s. METHODS Data came from six waves of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey, spanning 2001-2016. We used data from 18 to 21 year-olds (n = 6849) and examined trends in the age at first use for each of the three substances plus any changes in the order of initiation. RESULTS The mean age of initiation increased steadily for all three substances (e.g. from 14.9 in 2001 to 16.4 in 2016 for alcohol), while the prevalence of any use declined. There were some changes in ordering of use. For example, in 2001, 62 % of respondents who used both cigarettes and cannabis had first used cigarettes at an earlier age than cannabis, compared with 41 % in 2016. Young people who used both alcohol and cannabis remained more likely to try alcohol before cannabis across the study period. CONCLUSIONS Our results partly replicated US findings, with differences potentially reflecting the substantially different environment around these substances in the US compared to Australia. The age of initiation for alcohol, cigarette and cannabis use in Australia has increased sharply over the past 15 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - John Holmes
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Melissa Oldham
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Rakhi Vashishtha
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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24
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Chan G, Connor J, Hall W, Leung J. The changing patterns and correlates of population-level polysubstance use in Australian youth: a multi-group latent class analysis of nationally representative samples spanning 12 years. Addiction 2020; 115:145-155. [PMID: 31357251 DOI: 10.1111/add.14761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To (1) identify population-level classes of polysubstance use among young Australians between 2004 and 2016, (2) test if these classes changed over the same period, in terms of class prevalence and probabilities of substance use within each class, and (3) identify demographic and health-related correlates of polysubstance use. DESIGN Repeated cross-sectional nationally representative household surveys. SETTING All Australian states/territories. PARTICIPANTS Young adult samples (aged 18-30 years; 58% females) from the National Drug Strategy Household Surveys (n = 20 350) MEASUREMENTS: Outcomes were the extent of past-year use of 10 licit (e.g. alcohol), and illicit substances (e.g. cannabis) were used to derive polysubstance use classes. The correlates were gender, age, psychological distress, general health, language background, personal income, education level, remoteness of residence and socio-economic index for area of residence. FINDINGS Three polysubstance use classes were consistently identified between 2004 and 2016 (SSABIC: 188349): minimal users (MU, ~60%), mainly tobacco, alcohol and cannabis users (TAC, ~30%) and extended range polysubstance users (POLY, ~10%). There were substantial changes in use of different substances within each class over the study period. For example, smoking decreased in all classes (P < 0.05), while harmful alcohol use only decreased in the first two classes (P < 0.05). Factors associated with TAC and POLY were similar over the study period. These included: being male and having an English-speaking background, a high level of psychological distress, suboptimal health and high personal income. Living in an affluent area was associated with reduced likelihood of being TAC, but an increased likelihood of being POLY. CONCLUSION At the population-level among young Australians between 2004 and 2016, six in 10 did not engage in polysubstance use; four in 10 used a limited range of substances (mainly alcohol, tobacco and cannabis) and one in 10 used an extended range of substances. Over time, the types of substance within the extended polysubstance use class changed substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Chan
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jason Connor
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Discipline of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Wayne Hall
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,National Addiction Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Janni Leung
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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25
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Wilson LF, Baade PD, Green AC, Jordan SJ, Kendall BJ, Neale RE, Olsen CM, Youlden DR, Webb PM, Whiteman DC. The impact of reducing alcohol consumption in Australia: An estimate of the proportion of potentially avoidable cancers 2013-2037. Int J Cancer 2019; 145:2944-2953. [PMID: 30748013 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The International Agency for Research on Cancer first concluded that alcohol causes cancer in humans in 1988. The World Cancer Research Fund has declared that alcohol causes cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus (squamous cell carcinoma), female breast, colon, rectum, stomach and liver. It recommended that alcohol be avoided altogether to prevent cancer. We aimed to quantify the impact of reducing alcohol consumption on future cancer incidence in Australia. We used PREVENT 3.01 simulation modelling software to estimate the proportion of cancers that could potentially be prevented over a 25-year period under two hypothetical intervention scenarios and two latency periods (20 and 30 years). Under a scenario where alcohol consumption abruptly ceases, we estimated up to 4% of alcohol-related cancers could be avoided over a 25-year period (~49,500 cancers, depending on assumed latency). If the maximum consumption of all Australian adults was ≤20 g/day (~two Australian standard drinks), up to 2% of alcohol-related cancers could be avoided (~29,600 cancers). The maximum proportions were higher for men (6% for no alcohol consumption; 5% for ≤20 g/day) than women (3%; 1%). The proportion avoidable was highest for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (17% no alcohol consumption; 9% ≤20 g/day), followed by cancers of the oral cavity (12%; 5%) and pharynx (11%; 5%). The cancer sites with the highest numbers of potentially avoidable cases were colon in men (11,500; 9,900) and breast in women (14,400; 4,100). Successful interventions to reduce alcohol intake could lead to significant reductions in cancer incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise F Wilson
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter D Baade
- Cancer Council Queensland, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia.,Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, Australia.,School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Adele C Green
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, QLD, Australia.,Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and Division of Musculoskeletal & Dermatological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Susan J Jordan
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Bradley J Kendall
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, QLD, Australia.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Rachel E Neale
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Catherine M Olsen
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Danny R Youlden
- Cancer Council Queensland, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia.,Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Penelope M Webb
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - David C Whiteman
- Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Herston, QLD, Australia
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26
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Mojica-Perez Y, Callinan S, Livingston M. Has the Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Risky Behaviour Changed in Australia? An Exploratory Study. Alcohol Alcohol 2019; 54:331-337. [PMID: 31087087 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Recent studies have pointed to diverging trends between alcohol consumption and harm rates. One explanation for these trends is the normalization hypothesis, which suggests that declines in alcohol consumption will result in more risky behaviour by the remaining drinkers as consumption becomes a more deviant behaviour. We examine how the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky behaviour has changed in Australia over a fourteen-year period. METHODS Risky behaviour and alcohol consumption were obtained from six waves (2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016) of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS). 115,115 respondents aged over 14 were included in this study. Poisson regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between risky behaviour and two measures of alcohol consumption (average volume per day and risky drinking occasions per month) over six NDSHS waves. Interaction terms between year and the drinking variables were included in each model to identify shifts in this relationship between consumption and harm. RESULTS Respondents with greater alcohol consumption were more likely to report risky behaviour (IRR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.13-1.16). Risky behaviour generally declined over time however older participants reported more risky behaviour over time. Generally, the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky behaviour has remained stable, with some very minor upward shifts for young drinkers (aged 14-29; highest IRR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.04). CONCLUSIONS We found little support for the normalization hypothesis-risky behaviour tends to shift consistently along with drinking levels. Results suggest that recent reductions in alcohol consumption should lead to reductions in rates of harm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Livingston M, Callinan S. Examining Australia's heaviest drinkers. Aust N Z J Public Health 2019; 43:451-456. [DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy ResearchLa Trobe University Victoria
- Department of NeuroscienceKarolinska Institutet Sweden
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy ResearchLa Trobe University Victoria
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28
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Pennay A, Callinan S, Livingston M, Lubman DI, Holmes J, MacLean S, Herring R, Dietze P. Patterns in Reduction or Cessation of Drinking in Australia (2001-2013) and Motivation for Change. Alcohol Alcohol 2019; 54:79-86. [PMID: 30346513 PMCID: PMC7614938 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agy072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS This paper examines: (a) change over time (2001-2013) in recently reducing or ceasing drinking in the Australian population and (b) the reasons given for reducing or ceasing drinking in the most recent survey (2013); stratified by sex and age group. SHORT SUMMARY Rates of reducing and ceasing drinking increased between 2001 and 2013 in Australia. Young people were more likely to modify drinking due to lifestyle and enjoyment reasons; older groups were more likely to report health reasons. These trends contribute to the broader context of declining alcohol consumption in Australia. METHODS Data are from five waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (N = 119,397). Logistic regression models with interaction terms were used to identify a shift in sex or age over time in predicting reduction or cessation of drinking and to predict motivations for reducing or ceasing drinking by sex and age. RESULTS Reports of recently reducing the quantity or frequency of drinking increased from 2001 to 2007 and remained stable between 2007 and 2013. There was a steady increase in the number of Australians reporting recently ceasing drinking from 2001 to 2013, with a significant effect for age (younger groups more likely than older groups to cease drinking in the past two waves). Reasons for reducing or ceasing drinking varied by age, with older people more likely to report health reasons and younger people more likely to report lifestyle reasons or enjoyment. CONCLUSION Increases over time in reports of reduction or cessation of drinking due to health, lifestyle, social and enjoyment reasons suggest that the social position of alcohol in Australia may be shifting, particularly among young people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel I. Lubman
- Turning Point, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John Holmes
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, UK
| | - Sarah MacLean
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rachel Herring
- Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Department of Mental Health, Social Work and Integrative Medicine, School of Health Education, Middlesex University, London, UK
| | - Paul Dietze
- Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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29
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Stanesby O, Jayasekara H, Callinan S, Room R, English D, Giles GG, MacInnis RJ, Milne RL, Livingston M. Women's role in the rise in drinking in Australia 1950-80: an age-period-cohort analysis of data from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Addiction 2018; 113:2194-2202. [PMID: 29974540 DOI: 10.1111/add.14377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In Australia, as in many countries, alcohol consumption increased dramatically during the second half of the 20th century, with increased availability of alcohol, relaxation of attitudes towards drinking and shifting roles and opportunities for women as facilitating factors. We sought to investigate drinking trends by gender and birth cohort in Australia during this period. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS Using the usual frequency and quantity of beverage-specific alcohol intake for 10-year periods from age 20, reported retrospectively from 40 789 participants aged 40-69 years (born 1920-49) at recruitment to the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study in 1990-94, we compared trends in alcohol consumption by sex in Australia between 1950 and 1990. Participants' average daily consumption for age decades were transformed to estimated intakes for 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990. FINDINGS Alcohol consumption was higher for men than women during each decade. Alcohol consumption increased for both sexes in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and fell after 1980. The rise before 1980 was roughly equal in absolute terms for both sexes, but much greater relative to 1950 for women. Women born during 1930-39 and 1940-49 drank more alcohol during early-middle adulthood (ages 20-40) than women born during 1920-29. In the 1980s, the fall was greater in absolute terms for men, but roughly equal relative to 1950 for both sexes. In both sexes, the decline in drinking in the 1980s for birth-decade cohorts was roughly in parallel. CONCLUSIONS Specific birth cohorts were influential in the rise in alcohol consumption by Australian women born in 1920-49 after World War II. Much of the convergence with men's drinking after 1980 reflects large reductions in drinking among men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Stanesby
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Harindra Jayasekara
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Cancer Epidemiology and Intelligence Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robin Room
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dallas English
- Cancer Epidemiology and Intelligence Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Graham G Giles
- Cancer Epidemiology and Intelligence Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robert J MacInnis
- Cancer Epidemiology and Intelligence Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Roger L Milne
- Cancer Epidemiology and Intelligence Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,CAN (Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs), Stockholm, Sweden
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30
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Livingston M, Callinan S, Dietze P, Stanesby O, Kuntsche E. Is there gender convergence in risky drinking when taking birth cohorts into account? Evidence from an Australian national survey 2001-13. Addiction 2018; 113:2019-2028. [PMID: 29806883 DOI: 10.1111/add.14279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Recent studies have argued that there has been substantial gender convergence in alcohol consumption. However, many of these rely on comparisons of different cohorts and do not adjust for age differences in male and female drinking patterns. We aimed to examine (1) whether the gender gap in risky drinking in Australia narrowed between 2001 and 2013, (2) if the evidence for gender convergence (or divergence) was consistent across age groups and (3) how a cohort-focused analysis of gender convergence compared with an age-focused approach. DESIGN Repeated cross-sectional data from five waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013). Interaction terms in logistic and linear regression models were used to test for significantly different trends between men and women. SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS Australians aged 14 years and older (n = 125 215) who provided data on alcohol consumption in the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. MEASUREMENTS Prevalence of long-term risky drinking (average of 20 g or more per day) and prevalence of risky single occasion drinking (12 or more sessions of 50 g or more). FINDINGS Gender differences were large for all age groups except adolescents (14-17-year-olds), with men typically reporting levels of drinking at least twice as high as women across the study period. Overall, there was statistically significant gender convergence in alcohol use measures showing a slight decrease in men's drinking and a slight increase in women's drinking. However, when age-specific analyses were conducted gender convergence was only observed for 50-69-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS In Australia, gender convergence in risky drinking since 2001 has been evident only in people aged 50-69 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- La Trobe University, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sarah Callinan
- La Trobe University, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Oliver Stanesby
- La Trobe University, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Kuntsche
- La Trobe University, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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31
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Dullius AADS, Fava SMCL, Ribeiro PM, Terra FDS. Alcohol consumption/dependence and resilience in older adults with high blood pressure. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2018; 26:e3024. [PMID: 30110100 PMCID: PMC6091391 DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.2466.3024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE to evaluate alcohol consumption/dependence and resilience in older adults with high blood pressure and to analyze the factors associated with these variables. METHOD a descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study developed with 300 older adult patients with high blood pressure from Family Health Strategy units in a municipality of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire called the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and the Resilience Scale were used. Data were analyzed using the Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Cronbach's alpha, odds ratio and logistic regression. RESULTS 89.3% of the interviewees were low-risk for consuming alcoholic beverages. The variables gender, age, smoking and disease duration were significantly associated with alcohol consumption/dependence. 36.7% of the people presented a low resilience. The variables family and individual monthly income, education level, physical activity and leisure had an association with resilience. No statistically significant association was observed between alcohol consumption/dependence and resilience. CONCLUSION alcohol consumption and resilience can interfere with the physical and mental health of older adults with high blood pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrícia Mônica Ribeiro
- PhD, Adjunct Professor, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal
de Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Fábio de Souza Terra
- PhD, Adjunct Professor, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal
de Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
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Pape H, Rossow I, Brunborg GS. Adolescents drink less: How, who and why? A review of the recent research literature. Drug Alcohol Rev 2018; 37 Suppl 1:S98-S114. [PMID: 29573020 DOI: 10.1111/dar.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
ISSUES Today's teenagers have been described as a sober generation and we asked: 'What is known about the recent decline in youth drinking?' APPROACH A literature review (2005-2017). KEY FINDINGS Research from wealthier parts of the world provides solid evidence of less alcohol use by youth since the millennium shift. Some studies show that this is reflected at all levels of consumption, but there are also indications that the heaviest drinkers have not reduced their drinking. The decrease is predominately seen in underage youth, and has been larger for boys than for girls in several countries. Teenagers across social strata drink less, but some disadvantaged subgroups have not followed the downward trend. Underage drinkers have apparently not become a more deviant group as the prevalence of drinking has dropped, indicating no hardening of the group. The major gap in the literature pertains to the issue of underlying driving forces. We found no evidence in support of the widespread assumption that the digital revolution has been of importance. A decline in parenting practices that are conductive to underage drinking has occurred in several countries, but studies examining whether these changes have contributed to less alcohol use by youth are almost non-existent. IMPLICATIONS To inform alcohol policy and prevention, it is imperative to find out why teenage drinking has decreased in a fairly consistent way across numerous countries. CONCLUSION Future research into the issue of falling prevalence rates of youth drinking should focus on possible explanatory factors at the population level rather than at the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde Pape
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,The Research Department, University College of Norwegian Prison Service, Lillestrøm, Norway
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33
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Chan GCK, Leung J, Quinn C, Weier M, Hall W. Socio-economic differentials in cannabis use trends in Australia. Addiction 2018; 113:454-461. [PMID: 28833738 DOI: 10.1111/add.14010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
AIM To test if the degree of change in cannabis use between 2001 and 2013 differed according to socio-economic status. DESIGN Repeated cross-sectional household surveys that were nationally representative. SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS Adult samples from the 2001 and 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Surveys (n = 23 642 in 2001 and n = 21 353 in 2013), the largest nationally representative survey on drug use in Australia. MEASUREMENTS Frequency of cannabis use coded as daily use, weekly use, less than weekly use and non-current use; socio-economic status (SES) as measured by personal income and educational level. FINDING There were significant differences in changes to levels of cannabis use between SES groups. Among participants who completed high school, the probability of daily use decreased from 0.014 to 0.009 (P < 0.001), and the probability of weekly use decreased from 0.025 to 0.017 (P < 0.001). These probabilities remained stable for participants who did not complete high school. The probability of weekly cannabis use decreased from 0.032 to 0.023 among participants with middle level income (P = 0.004), and from 0.021 to 0.013 among those with high income (P = 0.005). There were no significant changes in these probabilities among those with low income (0.026 in 2001 and 0.032 in 2013; P = 0.203). CONCLUSION The decline in cannabis use in Australia from 2001 to 2013 occurred largely among higher socio-economic status groups. For people with lower income and/or lower education, rates of frequent cannabis use remained unchanged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary C K Chan
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Janni Leung
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Catherine Quinn
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Megan Weier
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Wayne Hall
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Munhoz TN, Santos IS, Nunes BP, Mola CLD, Silva ICMD, Matijasevich A. [Trends in alcohol abuse in Brazilian state capitals from 2006 to 2013: an analysis of data from the VIGITEL survey]. CAD SAUDE PUBLICA 2017; 33:e00104516. [PMID: 28792992 DOI: 10.1590/0102-311x00104516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the trend in alcohol abuse in Brazil from 2006 to 2013 according to demographic, socioeconomic, and regional characteristics. This was an analysis of cross-sectional studies (VIGITEL, the Risk and Protective Factors Surveillance for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases through Telephone Interview) that evaluated the Brazilian adult population (≥ 18 years) in the country's state capitals. Sampling was two-stage probabilistic (telephone line and adult resident). Alcohol abuse was defined as ≥ 5 drinks for men and ≥ 4 drinks for women on a single occasion, at least once in the 30 days prior to the interview. Trend analysis was obtained using Prais-Winsten regression. Prevalence of alcohol abuse was 15.6% in 2006 and 16.4% in 2013, with a stationary trend in the entire sample (p = 0.334) and in both sexes. There was an upward trend in the elderly and in the 30-39-year age bracket in both sexes and in women in the Southeast Region of the country. A stationary trend was observed in different groups according to schooling. No downward trends were observed during the period analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago N Munhoz
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brasil
| | - Iná S Santos
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brasil
| | - Bruno P Nunes
- Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brasil
| | | | | | - Alicia Matijasevich
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brasil.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
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Livingston M, Callinan S, Raninen J, Pennay A, Dietze PM. Alcohol consumption trends in Australia: Comparing surveys and sales-based measures. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017; 37 Suppl 1:S9-S14. [PMID: 28741874 DOI: 10.1111/dar.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Survey data remain a crucial means for monitoring alcohol consumption, but there has been limited work done to ensure that surveys adequately capture changes in per-capita consumption in Australia. In this study, we explore how trends in consumption from two major Australian surveys compare with an official measure of per-capita consumption between 2001 and 2014 and examine age-specific trends in drinking. DESIGN AND METHODS Data were from five waves of the cross-sectional National Health Survey (total n = 113 279) and 12 waves of the longitudinal Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Study (average n = 12 347). Overall and age-specific estimates of annual alcohol consumption were derived and compared with official per-capita consumption and previous analyses of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. RESULTS In terms of overall consumption, both surveys broadly reflected trends in per-capita consumption, especially the decline that has been observed since 2007/2008. Age-specific trends were broadly similar, with the recent decline in consumption clearly concentrated among teenagers and young adults. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The main Australian monitoring surveys remain useful monitoring tools for alcohol consumption in Australia. There is consistent evidence that the recent declines in Australian per-capita consumption have been driven by sharp falls in drinking among young people, a trend that requires further study. [Livingston M, Callinan S, Raninen J, Pennay A, Dietze PM. Alcohol consumption trends in Australia: Comparing surveys and sales-based measures. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000].
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jonas Raninen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Stanesby O, Rankin G, Callinan S. Experience of harm from others’ drinking and support for stricter alcohol policies: Analysis of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2017; 45:25-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Callinan S, Pennay A, Livingston M. Decreasing prevalence of social drinkers in Australia. Addict Behav 2017; 67:20-25. [PMID: 27984810 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There has been a recent decrease in population level alcohol consumption in Australia, particularly in young people. Whether this is due to increasing abstinence or a shift in the way people think about alcohol is not known. The aim of this study is to investigate trends in self-identification of drinker types in Australia from 2001 to 2013 in light of shifting patterns of alcohol consumption in Australia. METHODS Five waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey from 2001 to 2013 (N=118,416) were used to assess trends in self-identification as a drinker type (non-, ex-, occasional, light, social, heavy and binge drinker). Consumption patterns and demographics of the self-identified groups were also examined. RESULTS The pattern of self-identification has mostly remained steady over time. The two exceptions to this are a decrease in identification as a social drinker (28% to 22%) and a corresponding increase in identification as a non-drinker (from 19% to 27%). There are few changes over time in the demographic make-up of, or consumption patterns in, the social drinker category with the exception of those over 50, who continue to identify as social drinkers at the same rate. CONCLUSION The recent increase in abstinence in Australia seems to be matched by a corresponding decrease in self-identified social drinkers, particularly among those under 50. This indicates that the decrease in consumption is not occurring in those most likely to experience harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Callinan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Australia.
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Australia
| | - Michael Livingston
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Australia
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Chan GC, Leung JK, Quinn C, Connor JP, Hides L, Gullo MJ, Alati R, Weier M, Kelly AB, Hall WD. Trend in alcohol use in Australia over 13 years: has there been a trend reversal? BMC Public Health 2016; 16:1070. [PMID: 27724901 PMCID: PMC5057497 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3732-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Skog's collectivity theory of alcohol consumption predicted that changes in alcohol consumption would synchronize across all types of drinkers in a population. The aim of this paper is examine this theory in the Australian context. We examined whether there was a collective change in alcohol use in Australia from 2001 to 2013, estimated alcohol consumption in non-high risk and high risk drinkers, and examined the trends in alcohol treatment episodes. METHODS Data from the 2001-2013 National Drug Strategy Household Surveys (N = 127,916) was used to estimate the prevalence and alcohol consumption of abstainers, high risk drinkers and frequent heavy episodic drinkers. Closed treatment episodes recorded in the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Dataset (N = 608,367) from 2001 to 2013 were used to examine the trends of closed alcohol treatment episodes. RESULTS The prevalence of non-drinkers (abstainers) decreased to the lowest level in 2004 (15.3 %) and rebounded steadily thereafter (20.4 % in 2013; p < .001). Correspondingly, the per capita consumption of high risk drinkers (2 standard drinks or more on average per day) increased from 20.7 L in 2001 to peak in 2010 (21.5 L; p = .020). Non-high risk drinkers' consumption peaked in 2004 (2.9 L) and decreased to 2.8 L in 2013 (p < .05). There were decreases in alcohol treatment episodes across nearly all birth cohorts in recent years. CONCLUSION These findings are partially consistent with and support Skog's collectivity theory. There has been a turnaround in alcohol consumption after a decade-long uptrend, as evident in the collective decreases in alcohol consumption among nearly all types of drinkers. There was also a turnaround in rate of treatment seeking, which peaked at 2007 and then decreased steadily. The timing of this turnaround differs with level of drinking, with non-high risk drinkers reaching its peak consumption in 2004 and high risk drinkers reaching its peak consumption in 2010.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary C.K. Chan
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Janni K. Leung
- Policy and Epidemiology Group, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Catherine Quinn
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jason P. Connor
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Leanne Hides
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Matthew J. Gullo
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Rosa Alati
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Megan Weier
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Adrian B. Kelly
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Wayne D. Hall
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
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