Alcohol habits in a suburban male cohort.
OBJECTIVE
Using data from a prospective birth-to-maturity project, the study presents normally occurring variations in alcohol involvement of alcohol-related problems among a representative cohort of Swedish males in young middle age, born in a Swedish metropolitan area (n = 106).


METHODS
Description and classification were based on an analysis of self-reported information (collected at about 36 years of age) about frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption (four-week timeline), self-reported alcohol-related symptoms, and registry data.


RESULTS
According to a broad, operationally defined classification of "harmful drinking" (at least three alcohol-related symptoms, including alcohol-related crimes), 43 subjects (41%) had experienced a substantial drinking problem during their lifetime, to an extent that might warrant labels such as "alcoholism" or "hazardous drinking". About one-third of these misusers were currently using other drugs. Of the 106 subjects, 80 (75%) reported having had at least one alcohol-related symptom or problem at some time during their life. Taking various life events into account, including sociomedical circumstances and heavy consumption at 18 and 25 years, 23 subjects (22%) were classified as having a lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence according to DSM-III criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
Problem drinking was largely unknown to the healthcare system and only a few subjects had received treatment. The results are discussed in the light of data from other national and international epidemiological surveys.
Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden.
M
M
Bohman
P
P
Wennberg
T
T
Andersson
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015995:Prevalence; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013383:Suburban Population; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology