Perman‐Howe, P.R. orcid.org/0000-0002-2247-4990, Holmes, J. orcid.org/0000-0001-9283-2151, Brown, J. et al. (1 more author) (2024) Characteristics of consumers of alcohol‐free and low‐alcohol drinks in Great Britain: a cross‐sectional study. Drug and Alcohol Review, 43 (7). pp. 1686-1697. ISSN 0959-5236
Abstract
Introduction
The impact of alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks on public health and health inequalities depends on who consumes them and how they are consumed. This study aimed to estimate: (i) the proportions of adults in Great Britain who consume no/lo drinks at different frequencies and in different settings; and (ii) the associations between no/lo drink consumption and individual characteristics.
Method
Pooled data (N = 7691) from four waves of a repeat cross-sectional survey on alcohol use completed in 2022–2023 by adults (16+) resident in Great Britain were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models.
Results
In all, 31.3% of adults reported ever consuming no/lo drinks and 9.8% reported drinking them weekly. Ever consumption of no/lo drinks was associated with: being an increasing risk drinker of alcohol relative to not drinking (ORadj: 3.96, 95% CI 3.27–4.80), being aged 16–24 compared with 65+ (ORadj:1.29, 95% CI 1.07–1.57), having previously smoked compared with having never smoked (ORadj:1.19, 95% CI 1.05–1.34) and living in a rural rather than urban area (ORadj:1.14, 95% CI 1.00–1.29). It was less likely among those in lower social grades or with lower educational qualifications; those living in Yorkshire and the Humber, and Scotland, compared with the South-East of England; and those using nicotine products.
Discussion and Conclusions
A third of adults in Great Britain have consumed no/lo drinks and approximately one in 10 do so weekly. Consumption is more common among riskier drinkers of alcohol and among more advantaged social groups, which may contribute to the sustaining or widening of health inequalities.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Author(s). Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | alcohol; alcohol consumption; alcohol strength; alcohol‐free; non‐alcoholic |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Medicine and Population Health |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 27 Aug 2024 12:50 |
Last Modified: | 25 Feb 2025 11:17 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/dar.13930 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:216511 |