Social, circadian, nutritional, and subjective correlates of the spontaneous pattern of moderate alcohol intake of normal humans.

The relationship of moderate alcohol intake to the subjective states of hunger, thirst, depression, and anxiety, to social facilitation, circadian rhythms, and the ingestion of other nutrients by humans spontaneously behaving in their natural environment was investigated. Ninety-six adults were paid to maintain 7-day diaries of everything they ingested, when and where they ingested it, the number of other people present, and their subjective states at the beginning and end of the meal. The data from the 64 subjects who reported alcohol intake were analyzed individually with univariate and multivariate regression techniques. Subjective states were not found to be associated with subsequent alcohol ingestion, but alcohol was found to be associated with a reduction in subsequent thirst and anxiety. The amount of alcohol ingested was found to be positively related to the amount of nonalcohol calories ingested, particularly carbohydrates, the hour of the day, and the number of other people present. These results suggest that moderate alcohol intake by normal humans in their natural environment is affected by a variety of influences, but is primarily related to the time of day and socio-cultural factors.