Life Style Patterns Among Urban Cafe Guests in Norway

Abstract

The aim of this study was to obtain more knowledge about the life styles of a group of frequent visitors to cafés in Oslo. In 1991 a comprehensive questionnaire survey was undertaken among visitors to 41 licensed cafés in Oslo, Norway. A total of 1053 guests to the different cafés filled in and returned the questionnaire. Data from a representative sample of 297 adult persons from Oslo were available for comparison. The café guests represented a group with high alcohol consumption in terms of frequency and amount. Certain activities create certain life styles. A factor analysis resulted in four life style dimensions, which were labelled Intoxication, Sports Orientation, Entertainment and Art and Culture. Eight predictors included in a multiple regression model accounted for 5-20% of the variance in the different life style dimensions. The café guests had adopted the different life styles to varying degrees. Scoring high or low on the Intoxication and Art and Culture life styles may be of importance for production of social inequality.

1. 24.8% of the guests reported life time experience of amphetamin, 20.6% of cocain, 24.3% of other drugs than cannabis/amphetamin/cocain, and 10.6% of drug unknown to them.

2. Frequency of intoxication–was measured by the question: Approximately how many times during the past 12 months have you been drinking so much beer, wine or spiritus that you have felt clearly intoxicated? The fixed response categories were: (0) Once a week or more (34.7%, n = 356), (1) 2-3 times a month (21.7%, n = 223), (2) Approximately once a month (15.8%, n = 162, (3) About every second month (5.6%, n = 57), (4) A few times during the past 12 months (13.7%, n = 141), (5) Once during the past 12 months (3.8%, n = 39), and (6) I have not been intoxicated during the past 12 months (4.8%, n = 49).

3. Marital status–was coded 0 for single, divorced and widowed, and 1 for married/cohabiting respondents. Sex–was coded 0 for men and 1 for women.

Occupation–was coded 0 not being engaged in paid employment or education, and 1 for being engaged in paid employment or education.

Education–variable ranging from 0 = 7 years of education to 7 = 15 years or more of education. The respondents were asked to evaluate their life on a 5-point scale on the basis of the question “Do you at the moment feel that your life is …” from 1 = interesting to 5 = dull, and 1 = easy to 5 = difficult.

Key Words:

• cafés
• Norway
• life styles