A COMPARISON OF DRINKING PATTERNS AND ALCOHOL-USE- RELATED PROBLEMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY, 1995

Abstract

Distinct drinking habits are seen in the United States and Germany. Using 1995 national surveys, we examined alcohol consumption patterns, demographic correlates, and relationships between consumption and problems. Although differing in design (Germany: mail survey; United States: face-to-face interviews), both surveys shared measures that permitted comparisons. Drinking volume and pattern were assessed and the CAGE screening test for alcohol-use-related problems was used. Germany has larger prevalence of current drinking, higher levels of consumption, and more heavy drinkers. However, at matched volume levels, more Americans reported alcohol-use-related problems. Sociodemographic correlates of heavier consumption also varied between countries. Results support the role of cultural traditions in the expression and recognition of alcohol-use-related problems.

• International comparison
• Germany
• United States
• General population
• Alcohol consumption
• Alcohol-use-related problems

RESUMEN

Los Estados Unidos y Alemania tienen distintos hábitos de beber. Usando las encuestas nacionales de 1995, hemos examinado los patrones de consumo de alcohol, los conceptos correlativos demográficos, y las relaciones entre el consumo y problemas. Aunque difieren en diseño (Alemania: encuesta por correo; EE.UU.: entrevistas de persona a persona), las dos encuestas compartieron ciertas medidas que permitieron comparaciones. Se valoraron el patrón y volumen de bebida, y el seleccionador de problemas CAGE. Alemania cuenta con una frecuencia más grande de bebida, niveles de consumo más altos, y más bebedores intensos. Sin embargo, al igualar niveles de volumen, más ESTADOUNIDENSES reportaron problemas relacionados con el alcohol. Los conceptos correlativos sociodemográficos de intenso consumo también variaron entre países. Los resultados apoyan el papel de las tradiciones culturales en la expresión y reconocimiento de los problemas con el alcohol.

RÉSUMÉ

Les habitudes de consommation d’alcool sont différentes aux Etats-Unis et en Allemagne. Sur la base d’études nationales datant de 1995, nous avons examiné les modèles de consommation d’alcool, leurs déterminants sociodémographiques, ainsi que les relations existant entre consommation et certains types de problèmes. Bien que conçues différemment (Allemagne: enquête postales; EU: entretiens face à face), les deux enquêtes ont en commun un certain nombre de mesures qui peuvent de ce fait être comparées. Le volume et le mode de consommation, ainsi que l’indicateur CAGE pour le dépistage des problèmes liés à l’alcool ont été évalués. Les niveaux de consommation et la prévalence de consommation actuelle sont plus élevés en Allemagne, où l’on dénombre davantage de personnes présentant une consommation d’alcool très élevée. Toutefois, à volume égal, les Américains sont plus nombreux à signaler des problèmes liés à l’alcool. Les caractéristiques sociodémographiques des personnes dont la consommation est la plus élevée varient aussi selon le pays. Les résultats confirment le rôle joué par les traditions culturelles dans les manifestations et l’identification des problèmes d’alcool.

ZUMMENFASSUNG

Die Trinkgewohnheiten in den USA und in Deutschland unterscheiden sich deutlich. Auf der Grundlage nationaler Studien von 1995 wurden Konsummuster des Alkoholgebrauchs, soziodemographische Daten sowie Beziehungen zwischen Alkoholkonsum und alkoholbezogenen Problemen ermittelt. Trotz eines unterschiedlichen Vorgehens (Deutschland: postalische Erhebungen, USA: persönliche Interviews) gab es gemeinsame Variablen, die einen Vergleich beider Länder ermöglichten. Erhoben wurden Konsummengen und –muster sowie alkoholbezogene Probleme (CAGE). Deutschland hat nicht nur einen größeren Anteil an aktuellen Trinkern und ein höheres Konsumniveau als die USA, sondern auch mehr Personen mit einem riskanten Alkoholkonsum. Nach Konsummengen kontrolliert, berichten Amerikaner mehr alkoholbezogene Probleme. Darüber hinaus konnten Unterschiede in den soziodemographischen Variablen bei riskanten Alkoholkonsumenten zwischen beiden Ländern festgestellt werden. Die Ergebnisse belegen die Bedeutung kultureller Einflüsse für die Manifestation und Identifikation von Alkoholproblemen.

Notes

¹The Hispanic group consisted of the following subgroups, based on responses to the question: ‘Which of these groups best describes your own ethnic identification?’: Puerto Rican 10.8%, Cuban or Cuban American 4.3%, Mexican 31.5%, Mexican American 32.5%, Latin American 5.2%, SouthAmerican 4.1%, Central American 6.7%, or other 4.8%.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kim Bloomfield

Kim Bloomfield, Dr.P.H., is Associate Professor in the Unit of Health Promotion Research at the University of Southern Denmark. While living in Germany from 1992 to 2001 she worked for several years as research associate at the Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology at the Free University of Berlin. She also worked as research associate at the Department of Social Epidemiology and Risk Research at the Institut für Therapieforschung (Institute for Therapy Research), Munich, Germany in 2000. As a social and alcohol epidemiologist she has studied gender differences in alcohol use in Europe. She is also interested in the social epidemiology of health risk behavior in Europe and in prevention and intervention strategies for reducing social inequalities in health risks.

Thomas K. Greenfield

Tom Greenfield, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist and Center Director at the Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan (1977) after a career change from Astronomy (B.S., Caltech and S.M., MIT). Dr. Greenfield is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, on the faculty of its Clinical Services Research Training Program. His main research interests are the epidemiology of alcohol problems, self-report measurement methodology, services research, and policy analysis. He is currently Assistant Editor of Addiction and Vice-President-elect of the Kettil Bruun Society for Social and Epidemiological Research on Alcohol, and served earlier on the boards of directors of the Medical Research Institute of San Francisco and the International Council on Alcohol and Addiction.

Ludwig Kraus

Ludwig Kraus, Ph.D., studied at the University of Regensburg Germany and the University of Colorado at Boulder. After receiving his diploma in Psychology, he worked at the Institute of Criminology, University of Regensburg, and in 1992 received his Ph.D. in Psychology. In 1996 he became Head of the Department of Social Epidemiology and Risk Research at the Institut für Therapieforschung (Institute for Therapy Research). Dr. Kraus is involved in planning, conducting and analyzing the National Population Survey on Psychotropic Substances in Germany (NPSPS). His research interests include the etiology, onset, progress, cessation, prevalence, and prevention of use, abuse and dependence of illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals. He is member of several German and international professional and research associations.

Rita Augustin

Rita Augustin, Dipl.-Stat., is a statistician working the area of in social epidemiology for the past five years. She acts as advisor on the application of quantitative methods for research studies on prevention, treatment, evaluation, and epidemiology at the Institute for Therapy Research in Munich, Germany.