Drinking habits of men and women ‘narrowing’

Men still consume more alcohol, but longstanding differences in male and female alcohol consumption habits are “narrowing”, according to a new study.

Researchers say the findings are “particularly concerning” because women are more prone to the negative health effects of alcohol

A recent analysis by scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) discovered that differences in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm had reduced within a 10 year window.

Measures observed included differences in level of drinking, number of drinking days per month, alcohol use disorders, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Reasons for the increase in women consuming alcohol use remain unclear, but researchers say findings are “particularly concerning” because women are more prone to negative health effects including liver inflammation, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and cancer.

Researchers led by Aaron White, Ph.D., NIAAA’s senior scientific advisor to the director, examined data from yearly national surveys conducted between 2002 and 2012.

In that period, the percentage of people who had consumed alcohol in the last 30 days increased from 44.9% to 48.3% for females and decreased from 57.4% to 56.1% for males.

In the same period, the average number of drinking days in the past month increased from 6.8 to 7.3 days for females, and decreased for males from 9.9 to 9.5 days.

In the 18 to 25 year group, scientists found no change in people who were enrolled in college – but among 18 to 25 year olds not in college, there was a significant increase in binge drinking among females and a significant decrease among males, effectively narrowing the gender gap in this age group.

A report of the study by Dr. White and his colleagues is online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Earlier this year a study revealed well-educated, wealthy women and poor, uneducated men are “more likely” to engage in hazardous drinking than any other social groups.