The Contribution of Alcohol Beverage Types to Consumption, Heavy Drinking, and Alcohol-Related Harms: A Comparison across Five Countries

Abstract

Background

This study examined the relative contribution of alcoholic beverage types to overall alcohol consumption and associations with heavy alcohol use and alcohol-related harms among adults.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey data were collected from adult samples in two cities involved in the Global Smart Drinking Goals (GSDG) initiative in each of five countries (Belgium, Brazil, China, South Africa, United States). Survey measures included past-30-day consumption of beer, wine, flavored alcoholic drinks, spirits, and homemade alcohol; past-30-day heavy drinking; 14 alcohol-related harms in the past 12 months; and demographic characteristics. Within in each country, we computed the proportion of total alcohol consumption for each beverage type. Regression analyses were conducted to estimate the relative associations between consumption of each alcoholic beverage type, heavy alcohol use, and alcohol-related harms, controlling for demographic characteristics.

Results

Beer accounted for at least half of total alcohol consumption in GSDG cities in Belgium, Brazil, the U.S., and South Africa, and 35% in China. Regression analyses indicated that greater beer consumption was associated with heavy drinking episodes and with alcohol-related harms in the cities in Belgium, Brazil, South Africa, and the U.S. Significant increases in heavy drinking and alcohol-related harms were also consistently observed for spirits consumption.

Conclusions

Beer accounts for the greatest proportion of total alcohol consumption in most of the GSDG cities and was consistently associated with more heavy drinking episodes and alcohol-related harms. Reducing beer consumption through evidence-based interventions may therefore have the greatest impact on hazardous drinking and alcohol-related harms.

Keywords:

• Alcohol beverage type
• alcohol related harms
• alcohol consumption

Declaration of interest

Drs. Paschall, Grube, Ringwalt, Miller and Fisher have received funding from the AB InBev Foundation to conduct an independent evaluation of the Global Smart Drinking Goals initiative. Dr. Grube has received funding from the Responsible Retailing Forum to develop and evaluate interventions to reduce alcohol sales to underage youth and alcohol over-service to intoxicated patrons.

Additional information

Funding

This research and preparation of this manuscript were supported by funding from the AB InBev Foundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the AB InBev Foundation or AB InBev. By contract, the authors had complete independence to determine the contents of this manuscript.