Two recent reports detailing recent consumption and drinking behaviour insights have been released in the annual Health Survey England 2016 and Drinkaware Monitor 2017.
The Health Survey for England (HSE) 2016 focuses on consumption in the last week, detailed in the adult health trends chapter [pdf]. HSE reports in 2016, 31% of men and 16% of women drank at a level indicating increased or higher risk of harm (more than 14 units per week as per the revised guidelines).
Whilst the proportion of both men and women drinking at increased or higher risk of harm decreased between 2011 and 2016 (from 35% of men and 18% of women), HSE suggests there has been no statistically significant change since 2011 in average weekly consumption across all drinkers. In 2016, mean consumption was 16.0 units per week for men and 9.1 units per week for women.
Further figures include:
- In 2016, 17% of men and 22% of women reported that they did not drink any alcohol in the last year. A higher proportion of women (62%) than of men (53%) drank at a level indicating a lower risk of harm (up to 14 units per week)
- 26% of men drank at a level indicating an increased risk of harm (more than 14, up to 50 units per week), and 5% drank at higher risk levels (more than 50 units per week).
- Overall 31% of men drank at increased or higher risk levels. The proportion of women drinking at an increased risk level (more than 14, up to 35 units per week) was lower than that of men at 12%, and 3% of women drank at higher risk levels (more than 35 units per week).
- Overall 16% of women drank at increased or higher risk levels. The proportion of both men and women drinking at increased or higher risk of harm decreased between 2011 and 2016 (from 34% to 31% of men, and from 18% to 16% of women).
Broadly, the HSE data appears consistent with recent estimates of consumption and trends, albeit a relatively simple approach when considering the wide range of other factors and more detailed research into heavier drinking. In 2016, data on the level of alcohol misuse in England was released as part of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) 2014 based on more specific measures of alcohol risk and dependence including the AUDIT and SADQ. The APMS also identified increasing risk drinking had fallen in men over the last 15 years but remained stable in women, whilst levels of harmful and dependent drinking remained stable as falls amongst younger age groups have been countered by rises in older adults. Harmful drinking (scoring 16+ on the AUDIT) fell amongst 16 to 24 year olds from 6.2% in 2007 to 4.2% in 2014. Among 55 to 64 year olds though the percentage doubled from 1.4% to 2.8% in 2014. Last year a further analysis of alcohol dependence was released which also takes into account the Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS) and hospital admissions data.
See here for an analysis of the HSE data by Coling Angus on Twitter.
Drinkaware Monitor 2017
Drinkaware, the industry funded alcohol awareness charity, has published new findings from its series of Monitor reports aiming to explore drinking behaviours, attitudes and other insights amongst drinkers in England.
Key findings from the latest report [pdf] include:
- Over a quarter (26%) of UK adults typically exceed the limit recommended by the UK Chief Medical Officers of 14 units per week.
- Having a small number of drinks at home with a partner as a couple is the most common situation in which adults drink overall
- The most common motivations overall for drinking are social reasons with 84% of those who drink saying they do so for social reasons at least some of the time.
- Coping reasons are an important, but less common, reason overall for drinking with 47% of UK drinkers saying they drink alcohol to cheer them up when they are in a bad mood.
- One in 10 UK alcohol drinkers say that they have found that they had not been able to stop drinking once they had started at least once a month.
- Almost a fifth say they are changing their drinking behaviors right now.
- At least two-fifths have utilised certain scheduling or planning methods to cut down.
- Younger people (18-34 year olds) are more likely to employ methods of avoiding alcohol altogether in certain situations, whereas older drinkers are more likely than others to limit themselves when they do drink.
The report also contains a new segmentation analysis identifying eight distinct groups of drinkers with similar attitudes or behaviours, based on responses to key questions/metrics including AUDIT scores, drinking occassions, well-being and other characteristics including attitudes.
The significance of home drinking is highlighted as drinking at home alone or with a partner accounting for the most common drinking situations amongst all ages, broadly consistent with previous Sheffield research on drinking cultures. Monitor also highlights the main self-reported motivations for drinking as social reasons and mood enhacement (having fun and liking the feeling) the most significant, but coping reasons also significant (see below).
See here for the national statistics for alcohol in England 2017 summarising key national alcohol data sets including hospital admissions.
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