Gender differences for the risk of alcohol-related problems in multiple national contexts.
The primary research question asked is: After holding alcohol consumption constant, will men and women be at equal risk for a variety of alcohol-related problems? Since women are actually at a higher blood alcohol content at the same consumption levels, a physiological argument would suggest that women are at equal or greater risk for alcohol problems than men. However, variation in societal norms surrounding gender roles and/or societal-level stress may mediate the experience of men and women, regardless of the differences in physiology. Ten cross-sectional general population studies are used. Analyses control for individual-level variables (age, quantity, and frequency of drinking) and societal-level variables (proportion of women in the work force and female suicide rate) that might confound these relationships; cross-study homogeneity is examined.
Fillmore
K M
KM
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
Golding
J M
JM
Kniep
S
S
Leino
E V
EV
Shoemaker
C
C
Ager
C R
CR
Ferrer
H P
HP
Ahlstrom
S
S
Allebeck
P
P
Amundsen
A
A
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012931:Social Environment; D012945:Social Values; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications
D000431:Ethanol