Times to drink: cross-cultural variations in drinking in the rhythm of the week

Abstract

Objectives The time of drinking in terms of daytime versus evening and weekday versus weekend is charted for regular drinkers in 14 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Oceania. Methods national or regional adult population surveys from the GENACIS project. Results: The weekly rhythm of drinking varies greatly between societies. Drinking was generally more likely after 5 pm and on weekends. To this extent, alcohol consumption is now regulated by a universal clock. The relation of time of day and of the week of drinking to problems from drinking varied between societies. Drinking at specific times was more likely to predict problems among men than women, though for men the particular time varied, while weekday evenings were the most problematic time for women. The relation of drinking at a particular time to problems in part reflected that heavy drinkers were more likely to be drinking at that time. Conclusions There are commonalities across cultures in drinking by time of day and day of the week, but the implications of the timing for alcohol-related problems are fairly culture-specific.

A Retrospective Analysis of Psychosocial Risk Factors Modulating Adolescent Alcohol Binge Drinking

“…This is in line with a recent international study reporting that drinking frequency, but not the time of day, was related to alcohol problems [51]. We conclude that the ‘atypical' drinking patterns of drinking alone or to cope as well as absenteeism represent relevant early markers for the risk for developing an AUD, possibly not only in the context of BIHAs but also during any adolescent alcohol consumption.…”

Subgroup-dependent effects of voluntary alcohol intake on behavioral profiles in outbred Wistar rats

“…One aspect of human drinking patterns is high alcohol intake on consecutive days, especially on weekends [28]. The modified model used in this study, with alcohol access during three consecutive days followed by a deprivation period for four days was introduced to mimic human weekend consumption.…”

Alcohol consumption among young adults in Italy: The interplay of individual and social factors

“…Most of the recent studies have been conducted in the North-American context, while some studies have shown that different countries have different attitudes and patterns of alcohol use (Kuntsche et al, 2006;Room et al, 2012). In Southern European countries, alcohol is often moderately consumed at mealtimes (Room & Mäkelä, 2010) whereas in other European countries people drink more for social reasons (Atwell et.…”