The health benefits of moderate drinking revisited: alcohol use and self-reported health status.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between alcohol use and self-reported health status. In particular, we sought to determine whether moderate drinkers are more likely to self-report above-average health status compared with other current drinkers, former drinkers, and lifetime abstainers.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Continental United States.


METHODS
The sample adult component of the 2002 U.S. National Health Interview Survey (n = 31,044), representative of the U.S. noninstitutionalized civilian household population.


METHODS
Dichotomous measure of above-average self-reported health status relative to all other health states. Several measures characterized alcohol use patterns (i.e., continuous and categorical measure of alcohol use, a proxy measure of problem drinking, former drinking, lifetime abstaining). Chronic health conditions and various demographic and lifestyle factors were included as covariates in all regression models.


RESULTS
For both men and women, current moderate drinkers had the highest odds (OR = 1.27 for men, p < .01; OR = 2.03 for women, p < .01) of reporting above-average health status compared with other current drinkers, former drinkers, and lifetime abstainers. The odds dropped to 1.12 and 1.34, respectively, when all past-year drinkers were collapsed into a single group.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with the highest odds of reporting above-average health status, even after controlling for chronic health conditions and demographic and lifestyle factors associated with health.
University of Miami, Department of Sociology, 5202 University Drive, Merrick Building, Room 121F, P O Box 248162, Coral Gables, FL 33124-2030, USA. mfrench@miami.edu
Michael T
MT
French
Silvana K
SK
Zavala
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States