A L C O H O L

10 I N S I G H T

Gender differences in alcohol consumption

and problems with alcohol

INTRODUCTION

When rates of problems with alcohol are compared in men and women who drink
the same amount, the rate of reported problems is higher for women than for men.
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psychological, 10
social and10 10 10 processes.
physiological 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
The physiological factors include gender differences in the metabolism of alcohol, the

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10 10of10 alcohol
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female10sex10
hormones,
10 10more 10 rapid
10 10metabolism
10 10of 10alcohol
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in the liver in women, and lower volume of body water in women, which gives them
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10a smaller
10 10 volume for distribution of alcohol. Of all the physiological measures body
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
water is the most readily accessible, because it can be estimated from height and
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
weight.Women have, on average, a lower volume of body water because of their
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10lower
10weight,
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
and because a lower proportion of their weight is lean.
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10This10study
10used10answers
10 10to10 the CAGE questionnaire about problems with alcohol,
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answers to questions about alcohol consumption in the 7 days before interview, and
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measured height and weight as the basis for estimating body water volume.That
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10information
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
was given by 43 year old men (n=1597) and women (n=1572) who
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population of a national longitudinal study of a birth cohort, which is
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10 10 10 10
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Development.This
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Margaret 10 10Hardy,
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Nicholas
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10Longford
10 10and10 10 Wadsworth,
Michael 10 10 10University
10 10College
10 10London.10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10The10aims10of 10 10 10were
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assess 10 10
gender 10 10
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in consumption
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differences.
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10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
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10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Alcohol Education and
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Research 10
Council
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
 A L C O H O L
10 I N S I G H T

FINDINGS

• Average weekly consumption was 13.9 units in men and 4.5 units in women.
• CAGE scores greater than 1 (the problem level) were found in 11% of men
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 and 106% 10of 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
women.
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 • At levels above light10 10 10
drinking, 10 10
prevalence 10 10
of drink 10 10
problems for a10 10
given 10 10
level
of alcohol consumption
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 was greater in women than in men.

10 10 10 ENQUIRIES
10 10 AND 10 COPIES10 10 10• This10 difference
10 10 10 was largely accounted for by the lower estimated volume of
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
body water of women.
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OF THE REPORT

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Enquiries about this project
should be addressed to
10 10 10Professor
10 10 10
Michael 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Wadsworth

10 10 10Email:10m.wadsworth@ucl.ac.uk
10 10 10 10 10I M10
Tel: (020) 7391 1734 P L10 ICA 10T I10O N10 S 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10• Studies 10 10of 10 10problems
alcohol 10 10should 10 10 take10 10 of
account 10gender
10 10 10 10
differences in 10 10
Hard copies of the report are
10 10available
10 10 from 10the AERC10Secretariat
10 10 10 consumption
10 10 10and 10susceptibility
10 10 10 10 10 with
to problems 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
alcohol.
10 10 10 price10 10
£10.00. 10 10copy10 10• If10
An electronic 10 10
drinking levels10 10 10continue
in women 10 10 to 10 10 10
approach those10 10 drink
of men, 10 10 10 10
problems
may be obtained free of charge
10 10 10 10by10 10 10 10 10 in10
sending an email to
10 10
women 10 10
are likely 10 10
to become 10 10
greater than 10 10because
in men, 10 10 10 10 greater
of women’s 10 10
10 10 10 10 10info@aerc.org.uk10 10 10 10 sensitivity10 10 10 10effects
to the 10 of10alcohol.
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10ALCOHOL 10 10INSIGHTS 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10Alcohol 10Insights
10 are 10brief10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10summaries
10 10 of the10 10from10 10F U10
findings
R T10H E10R 10 I N F10 O R10M A10 T I 10
O N 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
research or action projects
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10These
funded by the AERC.
10 findings
10 10were 10published
10 10in10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Alcohol and Alcoholism, 1999, vol 34, No. 6,
10 10 10They 10may10 10 and
be copied 10used10 10pp10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
894-902.
by anyone without permission,
10 10 10 10provided 10 that 10the10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
source
10 10 10 10 10 10
is attributed to the10AERC.10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
The editor of the series is
10 10 10the10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Council’s Scientific Officer,
10 10 10 10Professor 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Ray Hodgson

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Tel: 029 20233651
Email: ray.hodgson@ntlworld.com
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10information
Further 10 10 contact 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
The Secretary of the Council
10 10 10 10 10 10 10Hay10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Mr Leonard
10 10 10 10Alcohol 10 10 10and10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Education
Research Council
10 10 10 10Room 10520,10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Clive House
10 10 10 10 10
Petty France, London 10 SW1H 109HD10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Tel: 020 7271 8379/8337
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Fax: 020 7271 8877
Alcohol Education and
10 10 10 10 Email:10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
len.hay@aerc.org.uk 10 10
Research 10
Council
Website: www.aerc.org.uk
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Alcohol Insights are brief summaries of research or action projects funded by the AERC