Sebastián Peña1, Pia Mäkelä2, Gonzalo Valdivia3, Satu Helakorpi4, Niina Markkula5, Paula Margozzini6, Seppo Koskinen7. 1. Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: spena@saludstgo.cl. 2. Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: pia.makela@thl.fi. 3. Department of Public Health, Pontifical Catholic University, Marcoleta 434, Casilla 114D, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: valdivia@med.puc.cl. 4. Department of Welfare, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: satu.helakorpi@thl.fi. 5. Faculty of Medicine, University Diego Portales, Ejército 233, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: niina.markkula@helsinki.fi. 6. Department of Public Health, Pontifical Catholic University, Marcoleta 434, Casilla 114D, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: pmargoz@med.puc.cl. 7. Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: seppo.koskinen@thl.fi.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Reasons for socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol harm are not sufficiently understood. One explanation relates to differential exposure to alcohol by socioeconomic status (SES). The present study investigated socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol use in two countries with high alcohol consumption and alcohol harm. METHODS: Data from nationally representative surveys in 2009-2010 in Chile and in 2008-2011 in Finland were used. Surveys comprised 3477 participants in Chile and 9994 in Finland aged 30-64 years. Outcome measures included abstinence, weekly consumption of pure alcohol, heavy volume drinking and heavy episodic drinking (HED). We employed a novel method in alcohol research, the concentration index, to measure socioeconomic inequalities. RESULTS: Alcohol abstinence showed a strong association with lower SES in Chile and Finland. These were largely driven by inequalities among women in Chile and older subgroups in Finland. In both countries, women aged 45-64 of higher SES showed higher weekly consumption of pure alcohol and heavy volume drinking. Heavy volume drinking among Chilean women aged 45-64 showed the highest inequality, favouring higher SES. HED was equally distributed among SES groups in Chile; in Finland HED disproportionally affected lower SES groups. CONCLUSIONS: Lower SES was associated with higher abstinence rates in both countries and heavy episodic drinking in Finland. Heavy volume drinking was more prevalent in middle-aged women of high SES. The results identified groups for targeted interventions, including middle-aged higher SES women, who traditionally have not been specifically targeted. The concentration index could be a useful measure of inequalities in alcohol use.
BACKGROUND: Reasons for socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol harm are not sufficiently understood. One explanation relates to differential exposure to alcohol by socioeconomic status (SES). The present study investigated socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol use in two countries with high alcohol consumption and alcohol harm. METHODS: Data from nationally representative surveys in 2009-2010 in Chile and in 2008-2011 in Finland were used. Surveys comprised 3477 participants in Chile and 9994 in Finland aged 30-64 years. Outcome measures included abstinence, weekly consumption of pure alcohol, heavy volume drinking and heavy episodic drinking (HED). We employed a novel method in alcohol research, the concentration index, to measure socioeconomic inequalities. RESULTS:Alcohol abstinence showed a strong association with lower SES in Chile and Finland. These were largely driven by inequalities among women in Chile and older subgroups in Finland. In both countries, women aged 45-64 of higher SES showed higher weekly consumption of pure alcohol and heavy volume drinking. Heavy volume drinking among Chilean women aged 45-64 showed the highest inequality, favouring higher SES. HED was equally distributed among SES groups in Chile; in Finland HED disproportionally affected lower SES groups. CONCLUSIONS: Lower SES was associated with higher abstinence rates in both countries and heavy episodic drinking in Finland. Heavy volume drinking was more prevalent in middle-aged women of high SES. The results identified groups for targeted interventions, including middle-aged higher SES women, who traditionally have not been specifically targeted. The concentration index could be a useful measure of inequalities in alcohol use.
Authors: Taisia Huckle; Jose S Romeo; Martin Wall; Sarah Callinan; John Holmes; Petra Meier; Anne-Maree Mackintosh; Marina Piazza; Surasak Chaiyasong; Pham Viet Cuong; Sally Casswell Journal: Drug Alcohol Rev Date: 2018-04-30