Drinking Patterns (79)
WiM and DWA at the 43rd OIV world congress of Vine and Wine in Ensenada, Mexico
By Wine Information CouncilEvery year, one member state of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) invites scientists from all over the world to present and discuss new research data. This year, the host was Mexico and Wine in Moderation (WiM) and the Deutsche Weinakademie (DWA) participated with a presentation.
Approximately 1200 wine and viticultural experts from all over the world followed the invitation of OIV (Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin) and came to Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico, where the 43rd congress took place from October 31st to November 4th. As representative of WiM, the Wine Information Council and DWA, Ursula Fradera, Scientific Coordinator, presented the future Wine in Moderation Educational tool for wine professionals as well as the topic “Wine consumption and cancer risk in context”.
“Wine consumption and cancer risk in context”
The context is important
At the beginning of her talk on the topic of wine and cancer risk, Ursula Fradera emphasized that while existing research is largely consistent with regards to the harms of heavy/excessive drinking and binge drinking in terms of both cancer risk and other health problems, there are disparate messages regarding the safety of light to moderate consumption of wine/alcoholic beverages.
Most organizations advocate zero alcohol consumption to prevent various cancers. They argue that there is ‘no safe limit of alcohol’, mainly based on an increased cancer risk, these can often be found in modelling studies. However, in these modelling studies, important influencing factors for the cancer risk such as drinking pattern, type of alcoholic beverage and other lifestyle factors are not considered.
Lifestyle factors – important influence on cancer risk
Since cancer is a multi-factorial disease, which takes a long time to develop, the cancer risk cannot be evaluated in isolation. Ms. Fradera explained that lifestyle factors such as eating and drinking patterns are important risk factors for cancer. Accordingly, the consumption of alcoholic beverages cannot be accurately evaluated in insolation from the other risk factors. The effect of alcohol on cancer risk will depend on the context, such as whether the alcoholic beverage is consumed with or without a meal, the type of foods consumed as well as smoking at the same time.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), one third of the cancers could be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle (such as avoiding smoking, maintaining a normal body weight, being physically active, avoiding excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and keeping a healthy dietary pattern). This therefore shows that the influence of alcohol cannot be evaluated in isolation. Indeed, when light to moderate consumption as well as the type of alcoholic beverage were assessed in the context of a Mediterranean Diet and a healthy lifestyle, the results were different, and no increased cancer risk was observed.
Wine and Mediterranean-type eating pattern
The Mediterranean Diet (Med Diet) is considered as one of the healthiest diets in the world. The Mediterranean cuisine includes not only vegetables, fruit, fish, cheese, nuts and olive oil but also a glass of wine with the meal. Several meta-analyses confirm that a higher adherence to the Med diet is associated with a lower cancer risk. Wine provides large amounts of several bioactive compounds - polyphenols - that may be potentially responsible for some of the wine’s anti-cancer effects and the observed positive health effects of light to moderate wine consumption may be - at least in part - linked to the protective effects of specific bioactive ingredients in wine (polyphenols) as well as in the foods consumed, with higher abundance in the Mediterranean diet.
Ms. Fradera concluded that considering the scientific evidence of wine/alcohol consumption in the context of the Mediterranean diet and a healthy lifestyle, no increased risk with light to moderate intake (for women up to 1.5 glasses of wine or up to 20 g of alcohol/day, for men: up to 2 glasses of wine or up to 30 g of alcohol/day) is observed.
New education package for wine professionals – from responsible service to a sustainable consumption of wine
In a 2nd presentation, Ursula Fradera presented – on behalf of Nadia Frittella - the various modules of the new Wine in Moderation education tool for wine professionals which will be announced soon. She introduced the basics of the Wine in Moderation initiative and highlighted the fact that education of all wine professionals plays an important role for a sustainable and responsible consumption of wine.
The many questions at the end of her presentation showed the enormous interest in this topic but also the need for education about sustainable wine consumption. More information about the new Wine in Moderation educational tool will be released next Spring.
Geng T, Zhu K, Lu Q, Wan Z, Chen X, Liu L, Pan A, Liu G. Healthy lifestyle behaviors, mediating biomarkers, and risk of microvascular complications among individuals with type 2 diabetes: A cohort study. PLoS Med. 2023 Jan 10;20(1):e1004135. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004135. PMID: 36626356; PMCID: PMC9831321.
Alcohol and Cardiovascular Diseases-Do the Consumption Pattern and Dose Make the Difference?
By eboursExcessive consumption of alcohol is not only a social problem, but it also significantly increases the morbidity and mortality rates of many societies. A correlation has been demonstrated between alcohol consumption and increased mortality from cancer, accidents and injuries, liver cirrhosis and other causes. Alcohol abuse increases the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke and the risk of ischemic stroke, induces serious arrhythmias, adversely affects blood pressure and damages the heart muscle. The dose and way of drinking alcohol play a crucial role in assessing whether this drink allows people to maintain health or whether it is a great health and social threat. The beneficial effects of low and moderate doses of alcohol on the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases have been shown in many population studies and meta-analyses in which the effect of U-shaped or J-shaped curves relating alcohol intake to cardiovascular mortality was observed, especially in ischemic heart disease. However, due to the fact that alcohol consumption is associated with many health hazards, it is not recommended to consume it as a preventive action of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, recent studies suggest that association of low-to-moderate alcohol consumption with the reduction in cardiovascular risk is a result of lifestyle changes and that any reduction in alcohol consumption is in fact beneficial in terms of general health.
Alcohol Drinking Patterns and Laboratory Indices of Health: Does Type of Alcohol Preferred Make a Difference?
By eboursAlthough excessive alcohol consumption is a highly prevalent public health problem the data on the associations between alcohol consumption and health outcomes in individuals preferring different types of alcoholic beverages has remained unclear. We examined the relationships between the amounts and patterns of drinking with the data on laboratory indices of liver function, lipid status and inflammation in a national population-based health survey (FINRISK). Data on health status, alcohol drinking, types of alcoholic beverages preferred, body weight, smoking, coffee consumption and physical activity were recorded from 22,432 subjects (10,626 men, 11,806 women), age range 25-74 years. The participants were divided to subgroups based on the amounts of regular alcohol intake (abstainers, moderate and heavy drinkers), patterns of drinking (binge or regular) and the type of alcoholic beverage preferred (wine, beer, cider or long drink, hard liquor or mixed). Regular drinking was found to be more typical in wine drinkers whereas the subjects preferring beer or hard liquor were more often binge-type drinkers and cigarette smokers. Alcohol use in all forms was associated with increased frequencies of abnormalities in the markers of liver function, lipid status and inflammation even at rather low levels of consumption. The highest rates of abnormalities occurred, however, in the subgroups of binge-type drinkers preferring beer or hard liquor. These results demonstrate that adverse consequences of alcohol occur even at moderate average drinking levels especially in individuals who engage in binge drinking and in those preferring beer or hard liquor. Further emphasis should be placed on such patterns of drinking in policies aimed at preventing alcohol-induced adverse health outcomes.
- Adult
- Wine
- aged
- Female
- Humans
- Ethanol
- Beer
- Middle Aged
- Male
- Binge Drinking
- Inflammation
- Lipids
- Harm Reduction
- aged
- Binge Drinking
- WIC AH
- WIC drinking patterns
- AH
- Wine
- Ethanol
- Harm Reduction
- Beer
- liquor
- liquor
- Binge Drinking
- Inflammation
- *Wine
- Adult
- Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects/epidemiology
- *Alcoholic Beverages/adverse effects
- Harm Reduction
Caffeine consumption and onset of alcohol use among early adolescents
By eboursAssociation of alcohol use with years lived without major chronic diseases: A multicohort study from the IPD-Work consortium and UK Biobank
By eboursBACKGROUND: Heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of several chronic diseases. In this multicohort study, we estimated the number of life-years without major chronic diseases according to different characteristics of alcohol use.
METHODS: In primary analysis, we pooled individual-level data from up to 129,942 adults across 12 cohort studies with baseline data collection on alcohol consumption, drinking patterns, and history between 1986 and 2005 (the IPD-Work Consortium). Self-reported alcohol consumption was categorised according to UK guidelines - non-drinking (never or former drinkers); moderate consumption (1-14 units); heavy consumption (>14 units per week). We further subdivided moderate and heavy drinkers by binge drinking pattern (alcohol-induced loss of consciousness). In addition, we assessed problem drinking using linked data on hospitalisations due to alcohol abuse or poisoning. Follow-up for chronic diseases for all participants included incident type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) as ascertained via linkage to national morbidity and mortality registries, repeated medical examinations, and/or self-report. We estimated years lived without any of these diseases between 40 and 75 years of age according to sex and characteristics of alcohol use. We repeated the main analyses using data from 427,621 participants in the UK Biobank cohort study.
FINDINGS: During 1.73 million person-years at risk, 22,676 participants in IPD-Work cohorts developed at least one chronic condition. From age 40 to 75 years, never-drinkers [men: 29.3 (95%CI 27.9-30.8) years, women 29.8 (29.2-30.4) years)] and moderate drinkers with no binge drinking habit [men 28.7 (28.4-29.0) years, women 29.6 (29.4-29.7) years] had the longest disease-free life span. A much shorter disease-free life span was apparent in participants who experienced alcohol poisoning [men 23.4 (20.9-26.0) years, women 24.0 (21.4-26.5) years] and those with self-reported heavy overall consumption and binge drinking [men: 26.0 (25.3-26.8), women 27.5 (26.4-28.5) years]. The pattern of results for alcohol poisoning and self-reported alcohol consumption was similar in UK Biobank. In IPD-Work and UK Biobank, differences in disease-free years between self-reported moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers were 1.5 years or less.
INTERPRETATION: Individuals with alcohol poisonings or heavy self-reported overall consumption combined with a binge drinking habit have a marked 3- to 6-year loss in healthy longevity. Differences in disease-free life between categories of self-reported weekly alcohol consumption were smaller. Funding: Medical Research Council, National Institute on Aging, NordForsk, Academy of Finland, Finnish Work Environment Fund.
Binge Drinking and Alcohol Problems Among Moderate Average-Level Drinkers
By eboursINTRODUCTION: A significant amount of binge drinking among adults escapes public health scrutiny because it occurs among individuals who drink at a moderate average level. This observational study examined the role of a binge pattern of drinking in predicting alcohol problems among moderate drinkers in a U.S. national sample of adults.
METHODS: Participants were 1,229 current drinkers aged >/=30 years from 2 waves of the study of Midlife Development in the United States, with a 9-year time lag (2004-2015) (analyzed in 20212022). Negative binomial regression analyses were used to examine the number of alcohol problems, and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine multiple (>/=2) alcohol problems.
RESULTS: Independent of the average level of drinking, binge drinking was linked with an almost 3 times increase in the number of concurrent alcohol problems and a 40% increase in the number of alcohol problems prospectively 9 years later. Moderate average level drinkers accounted for most cases of binge drinking and multiple alcohol problems. Among moderate drinkers, binge drinking was linked with a close to 5 times increase in concurrent multiple alcohol problems and a >2 times increase in multiple alcohol problems prospectively 9 years later.
CONCLUSIONS: These results substantially broaden an increasing recognition that binge drinking is a public health concern among adults. Moderate average-level drinkers should be included in efforts to reduce alcohol problems in adults. These findings are applicable to primary and secondary prevention of alcohol problems with the potential to advance population health.
This review discusses the inconsistent recommendations on alcohol consumption and its association with chronic disease, highlighting the need for an evidence-based consensus. Alcohol is an addictive substance consumed worldwide, especially in European countries. Recommendations on alcohol consumption are controversial.
On one hand, many nonrandomized studies defend that moderate consumption has a beneficial cardiovascular effect or a lower risk of all-cause mortality. On the other hand, alcohol is associated with an increased risk of cancer, neurological diseases, or injuries, among others.
For years, efforts have been made to answer the question regarding the safe amount of alcohol intake, but controversies remain. Observational studies advocate moderate alcohol consumption following a Mediterranean pattern (red wine with meals avoiding binge drinking) as the best option for current drinkers.
However, agencies such as the IARC recommend abstention from alcohol as it is a potent carcinogen. In this context, more randomized trial with larger sample size and hard clinical endpoints should be conducted to clarify the available evidence and provide clinicians with support for their clinical practice.
- Alcohol
- Risk
- Humans
- Binge Drinking
- Chronic Disease
- Mediterranean Diet
- Alcohol
- Binge Drinking
- Mediterranean Diet
- Moderate consumption
- WIC AH
- WIC drinking patterns
- AH
- Mediterranean Diet
- Risk
- Binge Drinking
- Abstinence
- Mendelian randomization
- *Alcoholic Beverages
- Mendelian randomization
- Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects
- *Ethanol/adverse effects
- Mediterranean alcohol drinking pattern
- Abstinence
- clinical trial
- Moderate consumption
Patterns of Alcohol Consumption and Associated Factors in a Population-Based Sample of 70-Year-Olds: Data from the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Study 2014-16
By eboursOlder adults of today consume more alcohol, yet knowledge about the factors associated with different consumption levels is limited in this age group. Based on the data from a population-based sample (n = 1156, 539 men and 617 women) in The Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Study 2014-16, we examined sociodemographic, social, and health-related factors associated with alcohol consumption levels in 70-year-olds, using logistic regression. Total weekly alcohol intake was calculated based on the self-reported amount of alcohol consumed.
Alcohol consumption was categorized as lifetime abstention, former drinking, moderate consumption (98 g/week). At-risk consumption was further categorized into lower at-risk (98-196 g/week), medium at-risk (196-350 g/week), and higher at-risk (>/=350 g/week). We found that among the 1156 participants, 3% were lifetime abstainers, 3% were former drinkers, 64% were moderate drinkers, and 30% were at-risk drinkers (20% lower, 8% medium, 2% higher).
Among several factors, former drinking was associated with worse general self-rated health (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08-2.51) and lower health-related quality of life (measured by physical component score) (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91-0.97), higher illness burden (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07-1.27), and weaker grip strength (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.98). Higher at-risk drinkers more often had liver disease (OR 11.41, 95% CI 3.48-37.37) and minor depression (OR 4.57, 95% CI 1.40-14.95), but less contacts with health care (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.11-0.92).
Our findings demonstrate the importance of classifications beyond abstinence and at-risk consumption, with implications for both the prevention and clinical management of unhealthy consumption patterns in older adults.
Alcohol consumption patterns and growth differentiation factor 15 among life-time drinkers aged 65+ years in Spain: a cross-sectional study
By eboursAIMS: To examine the association of alcohol consumption patterns with growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) in older drinkers, separately among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD)/diabetes and those without them, as GDF-15 is a strong biomarker of chronic disease burden.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Population-based study in Madrid (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2051 life-time drinkers aged 65+ years included in the Seniors-ENRICA-2 study in 2015-17. Participants' mean age was 71.4 years and 55.4% were men.
MEASUREMENTS: According to their average life-time alcohol intake, participants were classified as occasional ( 1.43-20 g/day; women: > 1.43-10 g/day), moderate-risk (men: > 20-40 g/day; women: > 10-20 g/day) and high-risk drinkers (men: > 40 g/day; women: > 20 g/day; or binge drinkers). We also ascertained wine preference (> 80% of alcohol derived from wine), drinking with meals and adherence to a Mediterranean drinking pattern (MDP) defined as low-risk drinking, wine preference and one of the following: drinking only with meals; higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet; or any of these.
FINDINGS: In participants without CVD/diabetes, GDF-15 increased by 0.27% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.06%, 0.48%] per 1 g/day increment in alcohol among high-risk drinkers, but there was no clear evidence of association in those with lower intakes or in the overall group, or across categories of alcohol consumption status. Conversely, among those with CVD/diabetes, GDF-15 rose by 0.19% (95% CI = 0.05%, 0.33%) per 1 g/day increment in the overall group and GDF-15 was 26.89% (95% CI = 12.93%, 42.58%) higher in high-risk versus low-risk drinkers. Drinking with meals did not appear to be related to GDF-15, but among those without CVD/diabetes, wine preference and adherence to the MDP were associated with lower GDF-15, especially when combined with high adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
CONCLUSIONS: Among older life-time drinkers in Madrid, Spain, high-risk drinking was positively associated with growth differentiation factor 15 (a biomarker of chronic disease burden). There was inconclusive evidence of a beneficial association for low-risk consumption.
- Alcohol
- aged
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Alcohol
- aged
- CrossSectional Studies
- WIC AH
- WIC drinking patterns
- AH
- Older Adults
- *Diabetes Mellitus
- Older Adults
- Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology
- Older Adults
- Gdf15
- Mediterranean drinking pattern
- lifetime alcohol intake
- populationbased study
- Spain/epidemiology
- *Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology
- Growth Differentiation Factor 15
This review discusses the inconsistent recommendations on alcohol consumption and its association with chronic disease, highlighting the need for an evidence-based consensus. Alcohol is an addictive substance consumed worldwide, especially in European countries. Recommendations on alcohol consumption are controversial. On one hand, many nonrandomized studies defend that moderate consumption has a beneficial cardiovascular effect or a lower risk of all-cause mortality. On the other hand, alcohol is associated with an increased risk of cancer, neurological diseases, or injuries, among others. For years, efforts have been made to answer the question regarding the safe amount of alcohol intake, but controversies remain. Observational studies advocate moderate alcohol consumption following a Mediterranean pattern (red wine with meals avoiding binge drinking) as the best option for current drinkers. However, agencies such as the IARC recommend abstention from alcohol as it is a potent carcinogen. In this context, more randomized trial with larger sample size and hard clinical endpoints should be conducted to clarify the available evidence and provide clinicians with support for their clinical practice.
- Alcohol
- Risk
- Humans
- Binge Drinking
- Chronic Disease
- Mediterranean Diet
- Alcohol
- Binge Drinking
- Mediterranean Diet
- Moderate consumption
- WIC AH
- WIC drinking patterns
- AH
- Mediterranean Diet
- Risk
- Binge Drinking
- Abstinence
- Mendelian randomization
- *Alcoholic Beverages
- Mendelian randomization
- Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects
- *Ethanol/adverse effects
- Mediterranean alcohol drinking pattern
- Abstinence
- clinical trial
- Moderate consumption
More...
Association of alcohol types, coffee and tea intake with mortality: prospective cohort study of UK Biobank participants
By eboursThe present study examines how alcohol intake from wine and non-wine alcoholic beverages (non-wine) in g/d, as well as cups of coffee and tea included as continuous covariates and mutually adjusted are associated with all-cause, cancer, non-cancer and CVD mortality. Consumption was assessed in 354 386 participants of the UK Biobank cohort who drank alcohol at least occasionally and survived at least 2 years after baseline with 20 201 deaths occurring over 4.2 million person-years. Hazard ratios (HR) for mortality were assessed with Cox proportional hazard regression models and beverage intake fitted as penalised cubic splines.
A significant U-shaped association was detected between wine consumption and all-cause, non-cancer and CVD mortality. Wine consumption with lowest risk of death (nadir) ranged from 19 to 23 g alcohol/d in all participants and both sexes separately. In contrast, non-wine intake was significantly and positively associated in a dose-dependent manner with all mortality types studied except for CVD in females and with the nadir between 0 and 12 g alcohol/d.
In all participants, the nadir for all-cause mortality was 2 cups coffee/d with non-coffee drinkers showing a slightly increased risk of death. Tea consumption was significantly and negatively associated with all mortality types in both sexes. Taken together, light to moderate consumption of wine but not non-wine is associated with decreased all-cause and non-cancer mortality. A minor negative association of coffee consumption with mortality cannot be excluded whereas tea intake is associated with a consistently decreased risk of all mortality types studied.
Association of alcohol types, coffee and tea intake with mortality: prospective cohort study of UK Biobank participants
By eboursThe present study examines how alcohol intake from wine and non-wine alcoholic beverages (non-wine) in g/d, as well as cups of coffee and tea included as continuous covariates and mutually adjusted are associated with all-cause, cancer, non-cancer and CVD mortality. Consumption was assessed in 354 386 participants of the UK Biobank cohort who drank alcohol at least occasionally and survived at least 2 years after baseline with 20 201 deaths occurring over 4.2 million person-years.
Hazard ratios (HR) for mortality were assessed with Cox proportional hazard regression models and beverage intake fitted as penalised cubic splines. A significant U-shaped association was detected between wine consumption and all-cause, non-cancer and CVD mortality. Wine consumption with lowest risk of death (nadir) ranged from 19 to 23 g alcohol/d in all participants and both sexes separately. In contrast, non-wine intake was significantly and positively associated in a dose-dependent manner with all mortality types studied except for CVD in females and with the nadir between 0 and 12 g alcohol/d.
In all participants, the nadir for all-cause mortality was 2 cups coffee/d with non-coffee drinkers showing a slightly increased risk of death. Tea consumption was significantly and negatively associated with all mortality types in both sexes. Taken together, light to moderate consumption of wine but not non-wine is associated with decreased all-cause and non-cancer mortality. A minor negative association of coffee consumption with mortality cannot be excluded whereas tea intake is associated with a consistently decreased risk of all mortality types studied.
Relationships among Alcohol Drinking Patterns, Macronutrient Composition, and Caloric Intake: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018
By eboursBACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with poor diet. Mixed reports in literature, so far, emphasize on the detailed understanding of relationships between diet composition and binge drinking at different drinking thresholds.
OBJECTIVE: We examined the association of alcohol consumption thresholds with macronutrient composition, caloric intake and anthropometric measures from the NHANES 2017-2018 dataset.
METHODS: A total of 2320 participants' data were analyzed. Energy and nutrient content from daily food and beverage intake were assessed via two dietary recall interviews. Physical examination and Alcohol Use Questionnaire including details about lifetime and current usage patterns were obtained. Correlations were evaluated using the Rao-Scott F Adjusted Chi-square statistic and Wald F-test. Sample-weighted multiple linear regression models were built to analyze the associations among volume of alcohol consumed, weight history and macronutrient intake.
RESULTS: Waist circumference was significantly higher in 0- < 4 drinks/episode (low-quantity) drinkers than 4-7 drinks/episode (medium-quantity) and 8-11 drinks/episode (high-quantity) drinkers. High-quantity drinkers consumed significantly more kilocalories (2569.91) compared with low-quantity drinkers (2106.73). Low-quantity drinkers consumed more energy from carbohydrate and fat than medium and high-quantity drinkers. Very high-quantity drinkers (12+ drinks/episode) consumed less fiber (12.81 g) than low-quantity drinkers (16.67 g).
CONCLUSIONS: We observed an association between high alcohol intake and differences in eating habits and body composition. The findings suggest a need to compare more specific drinking patterns and their impact on nutrient intake. Although some results conflicted with previous studies, the mechanisms underlying alcohol's effect on ingestive and digestive metabolic pathways are still unclear and require further investigation.
Changes in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe: A meta-analysis of observational studies
By eboursISSUES: Numerous studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol use changes in Europe, with concerns raised regarding increased use and related harms.
APPROACH: We synthesised observational studies published between 1 January 2020 and 31 September 2021 on self-reported changes in alcohol use associated with COVID-19. Electronic databases were searched for studies evaluating individual data from European general and clinical populations. We identified 646 reports, of which 56 general population studies were suitable for random-effects meta-analyses of proportional differences in alcohol use changes. Variations by time, sub-region and study quality were assessed in subsequent meta-regressions. Additional 16 reports identified were summarised narratively.
KEY FINDINGS: Compiling reports measuring changes in overall alcohol use, slightly more individuals indicated a decrease than an increase in their alcohol use during the pandemic [3.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00-7.6%]. Decreases were also reported more often than increases in drinking frequency (8.0%, 95% CI 2.7-13.2%), quantity consumed (12.2%, 95% CI 8.3-16.2%) and heavy episodic drinking (17.7%, 95% CI 13.6-21.8%). Among people with pre-existing high drinking levels/alcohol use disorder, high-level drinking patterns appear to have solidified or intensified.
IMPLICATIONS: Pandemic-related changes in alcohol use may be associated with pre-pandemic drinking levels. Increases among high-risk alcohol users are concerning, suggesting a need for ongoing monitoring and support from relevant health-care services.
CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that more people reduced their alcohol use in Europe than increased it since the onset of the pandemic. However high-quality studies examining specific change mechanisms at the population level are lacking.