title: Tridimensionality of alcohol use in Canada: Patterns of drinking, contexts and motivations to drink in the definition of Canadian drinking profiles according to gender.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to examine whether there is an underlying multidimensional typology of drinking according to gender among a population presenting heterogeneous drinking profiles in Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Latent class analysis was chosen to analyze the degree of statistical relationship among three indicators of drinking practices: patterns of drinking - i.e., frequency and quantity; contexts; and motivations to drink. Multivariate multilogistic regressions were conducted to explore the composition of each typology by age and education. Participants were selected from the Canadian GENACIS survey (Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study) and comprised 871 men and 843 women (N = 1,714) aged between 18 and 77 years and being regular alcohol drinkers (consumption at least once a month). Respondents to the GENACIS questionnaire completed questions on use, contexts and reasons to drink as well as socio-economic questions (age and education), adjusted by Canadian province of residence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six profiles were distinguished among men and five among women. Men and women share four drinking patterns but present distinctive characteristics of drinking. We also observed variability in the relationship according to socio-economic status and gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirmed the complexity and variability of drinking practices according to gender in Canada and the necessity to focus on gender and social dimensions in order to enhance our understanding of alcohol use. This study also reinforces the idea of adapting promotion strategies and interventions in public health by gender and social status in order to make them more efficient.
authors.affiliation: School of psychology, Québec (QC), Canada. Laval University Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit, CHU de Québec Research Centre, Québec (QC), Canada. Laval University. marilyn.fortin.2@ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fortin
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: Elyse
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.forename: Andrée
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Drinking profiles; context; gender; motivation; social status; typology