title: [Alcohol consumption by young adults from three cities in Southern France].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify potential factors of change in alcohol consumption and regional differences which could explain why and how habits are evolving.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and thirty three subjects aged 20 to 34 years, were recruited by random sampling in Marseilles, Montpellier and Toulouse. A quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to collect data on alcohol consumption. A stepwise logistic regression was applied to the total sample, to the sub-sample of drinkers, and to the sub-samples of drinkers of each type of alcoholic beverage. Factors associated with each type of alcoholic consumption were analyzed by city.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Montpellier and Toulouse samples were pooled because of the similarity in alcoholic consumption, which was different from that in Marseilles. There are significantly more drinkers in Montpellier/Toulouse than in Marseilles (74.4% versus 53.8%; p=0.001) and also more binge drinking subjects (31.1% versus 10.3%; p=0.001). Age, tobacco, leisure physical activity are independently associated with alcoholic consumption, female sex and Marseilles, being inversely associated. These two last factors are similarly associated with binge drinking, as well as age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study of the factors for alcoholic consumption by site suggests that differences in behavior could explain these results. These distinct characteristics should be considered when implementing anti-alcoholic prevention in youth.
authors.affiliation: Groupe d'Epidémiologie Métabolique, INSERM-CRLC, 34298 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scali
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loup
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siari
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grosclaude
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rotily
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iovanna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors