The Role of Sex and Age on Pre-drinking: An Exploratory International Comparison of 27 Countries

Abstract

Aims This exploratory study aims to model the impact of sex and age on the percentage of pre-drinking in 27 countries, presenting a single model of pre-drinking behaviour for all countries and then comparing the role of sex and age on pre-drinking behaviour between countries. Methods Using data from the Global Drug Survey, the percentages of pre-drinkers were estimated for 27 countries from 64,485 respondents. Bivariate and multivariate multilevel models were used to investigate and compare the percentage of pre-drinking by sex (male and female) and age (16–35 years) between countries. Results The estimated percentage of pre-drinkers per country ranged from 17.8% (Greece) to 85.6% (Ireland). The influence of sex and age on pre-drinking showed large variation between the 27 countries. With the exception of Canada and Denmark, higher percentages of males engaged in pre-drinking compared to females, at all ages. While we noted a decline in pre-drinking probability among respondents in all countries after 21 years of age, after the age of 30 this probability remained constant in some countries, or even increased in Brazil, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. Conclusions Pre-drinking is a worldwide phenomenon, but varies substantially by sex and age between countries. These variations suggest that policy-makers would benefit from increased understanding of the particularities of pre-drinking in their own country to efficiently target harmful pre-drinking behaviours.

Commentary on Conigrave et al. (2020): Meta‐analysis of drinking patterns in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations highlights policy and research opportunities

“…Conigrave and colleagues also highlighted the influence of moderators such as gender and age on drinking patterns among Australian Indigenous people, reflecting the findings of a number of other studies conducted among non‐Indigenous populations [9,10]. We agree with the authors that future research examining these moderating factors, especially from a socio‐cultural perspective, is critical.…”

Sex Differences in Value-Based Decision Making Underlie Substance Use Disorders in Females

“…Conversely, men engage in more risky behaviors than women, including experimenting with drugs of abuse (Becker et al, 2012)-suggesting that seeking reward, not avoiding negative consequences, is a greater factor in males. Further highlighting this idea, a higher percentage of males engage in predrinking ('pre-gaming'), or drinking in a domestic setting before going to a licensed setting, as compared to females (Ferris et al, 2019). Similarly, for natural rewards female subjects value avoiding negative outcomes over reward seeking, thus speaking to fundamental sex differences in how information is valued to guide decisions.…”

The impact of changes to alcohol policy on patron drinking behaviours in Queensland

“…Drinking prior to going out in entertainment precincts (i.e. pre-drinking) is a major contributor to alcohol-related harm [10][11][12][13]. Previous Australian studies have highlighted the increasing prevalence of pre-drinking, and the culture that has developed around pre-drinking at home [13][14][15].…”