Young women´s drinking contexts. A cluster analysis of 20- and 25-year old women.

• During the last years some international research on young adult drinking have focused on drinking contexts and drinking motives and the association with alcohol consumption. In this study we have analysed the association between drinking context and alcohol consumption in 20- and 25-year old women in Sweden. The aim was to find if drinking patterns, with respect to drinking context, varied between 1995 and 2000 and if specific drinking patterns related to specific consumption variables. Method: A total of 897 respondents were interviewed in 1995 and 2000. Looking at drinking context as a multi-dimensional phenomenon we chose two-step clustering as a method for identifying the drinking patterns. We used Pearson Chi-square to test for differences between the cluster groups with respect to problematic alcohol consumption. Results: Three clusters of drinking patterns in 1995 and 2000 respectively were defined. In 1995 the clusters were characterised as moderate drinking, partying and solitary drinking and drinking effects. In 2000 the three cluster groups were moderate drinking, social effects-drinking and individual effects and solitary drinking. Association with alcohol consumption showed significant differences: in 1995 the cluster party and solitary drinking was related to alcohol use disorders, binge drinking and high alcohol consumption, in 2000 the two clusters including drinking effects showed associations with all consumption variables.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Drinking context

cluster analyses

young women

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)