Gender, culture and alcohol problems: a multi-national study

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 01.0366

Key words (English)

Life Sciences; Medicine; Health; Scientific Research; Social Aspects

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: QLG4-CT-2001-01496

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.8 Generic R&D activities

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Schweizerische Fachstelle für Alkohol- und andere Drogenprobleme
SFA-ISPA

Abstract (English)

The proposed study has these specific objectives:
(1) to compare within countries men's and women's drinking patterns and drinking contexts; to compare across countries men's and women's drinking patterns and contexts, and gender differences in drinking patterns and contexts.
(2) To compare within countries men's and women's alcohol-related problems, to compare across countries the prevalence of men's and women's alcohol problems, and gender differences in problem prevalence.
3) To compare, within countries and across countries, the experience of violence in close relationships as regards men and women's drinking behaviour.
(4) To compare, within countries and across countries, gender differences in social inequalities in alcohol use/ abuse and the influence of social role combinations on heavy use.
(5) To analyse how societal-level factors (e.g., gender equality, drinking culture norms) predict women and men's alcohol use and alcohol-relate d problems in various regions of Europe.

The proposed study, with WHO participation, will examine differences in drinking behaviour amongst men and women in 13 EU and 5 non-EU countries. It will analyse gender differences in drinking patterns and drinking contexts and in the prevalence of alcohol-related problems. It will also investigate gender differences in the experience of alcohol-related violence in close relationships, in social inequalities in alcohol use/abuse as well as in combinations of social roles associated with heavy alcohol use.

Finally, it will examine the influence of societal level factors on differences in men and women's alcohol use in the study countries. Using centralised data analysis and standardised measures, the study will inform European Public Health policy by identifying gender difference s in 'at-risk' subgroups and by seeking to better specify and understand the differing correlates and conditions of problematic alcohol use between the genders.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 01.0366