Sociodemographic characteristics associated with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences, a latent class analysis of The Norwegian WIRUS screening study

Abstract

Background: For alcohol, the association with socioeconomic status (SES) is different than for other public health challengesthe associations are complex, and heterogeneous between socioeconomic groups. Specifically, the relationship between alcohol consumption per se and adverse health consequences seems to vary across SES. This observation is called the 'alcohol harm paradox'. This study aims to describe different patterns of alcohol use and potential problems. Next, the associations between subgroups characterized by different patterns of alcohol use and potential problems, and age, gender, educational level, full-time employment, occupational level and income is analysed. Methods: Employing data from the ongoing cross-sectional WIRUS-study, N = 4311 participants were included in the present study. Individual response patterns of the ten-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were analysed and latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify latent groups. Next, the associations between the classes identified in the best fitting LCA-model and sociodemographic factors were analysed and presented. Results: We identified three classes based on the response patterns on AUDIT. Class 1 was characterised by lowlevel alcohol consumption and very low probability of negative alcohol-related consequences related to their alcohol consumption. Class 2 was characterised by a higher level of consumption, but despite this, class 2 also had a relatively low probability of reporting negative alcohol-related consequences. Class 3, however, was characterised by high levels of alcohol consumption, and a high probability of reporting negative consequences of their consumption. The classes identified were systematically differentially associated with the included measures of SES, with class 3 characterised by younger age, more males and lower educational attainment. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the interconnectedness of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. Furthermore, the identified classes and SES yields further insights into to intricate relationship between various socioeconomic factors, alcohol use patterns and related negative consequences.

Insomnia, Alcohol Consumption and ADHD Symptoms in Adults

“…Although detailed information about SES was not included in the present study, we confirmed a relationship between level of education (which are closely related to SES) and drinking behavior (Russell et al, 2016). Due to the close relationship between SES and negative consequences of alcohol use (Skogen et al, 2019), future studies should investigate the importance of SES on the relation between ADHD symptoms and problems associated with insomnia and alcohol consumption.…”

Satisfaction With Life, Mental Health Problems and Potential Alcohol-Related Problems Among Norwegian University Students

“…When looking at the general population, the high alcohol use among students may also be explained by the fact that there is a peak in alcohol consumption in the age period between 18 and 29 years ( 8 , 9 ). In younger age groups, some studies have also found that high and harmful alcohol use increase more sharply with lower socioeconomic status in countries such as England ( 10 ) and Norway ( 11 ). In contrast, a study with undergraduate students from Brazil found that students with higher monthly family income reported higher alcohol use than students with lower monthly family income ( 12 ).…”

Are Demanding Job Situations Associated with Alcohol-Related Presenteeism? The WIRUS-Screening Study

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