Citation

Meng Y, Holmes J, Hill-McManus D, Brennan A, Meier P. Addiction 2014; 109(2): 206-215.

Affiliation

School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/add.12330

PMID

23941363

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: British alcohol consumption and abstinence rates have substantially increased in the last three decades. This study aims to disentangle age, period and birth cohort effects to improve our understanding of these trends and suggest groups for targeted interventions to reduce resultant harms. DESIGN: Age, period, cohort analysis of repeated cross-sectional surveys using separate logistic and negative binomial models for each gender. SETTING: Britain 1984-2009. PARTICIPANTS: Annual nationally representative samples of approximately 20,000 adults (16+) within 13,000 households. MEASUREMENTS: Age (8 groups: 16-17 to 75+), period (6 groups: 1980-84 to 2005-09) and birth cohorts (19 groups: 1900-1904 to 1990-1994). Outcome measures were abstinence and average weekly alcohol consumption. Controls were income, education, ethnicity and country. FINDINGS: After accounting for period and cohort trends, 18-24 year-olds have the highest consumption levels (p<0.001) and lowest abstention rates (p=0.002). Consumption generally decreases and abstention rates increase in later life. Until recently, successive birth cohorts' consumption levels were also increasing. However, for those born post-1985, abstention rates are increasing and male consumption is falling relative to preceding cohorts. In contrast, female drinking behaviours have polarised over the study period with increasing abstention rates accompanying increases in drinkers' consumption levels. CONCLUSIONS: Rising female consumption of alcohol and progression of higher consuming birth cohorts through the life course are key drivers of increased per capita alcohol consumption in the UK. Recent declines in alcohol consumption appear attributable to reduced consumption and increased abstinence rates amongst the most recent birth cohorts, especially males, and general increased rates of abstention across the study period.

Language: en