title: Socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol consumption in Chile and Finland.
abstract: Reasons for socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol harm are not sufficiently understood. One explanation relates to differential exposure to alcohol by socioeconomic status (SES). The present study investigated socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol use in two countries with high alcohol consumption and alcohol harm.
  
  
  
  Data from nationally representative surveys in 2009-2010 in Chile and in 2008-2011 in Finland were used. Surveys comprised 3477 participants in Chile and 9994 in Finland aged 30-64 years. Outcome measures included abstinence, weekly consumption of pure alcohol, heavy volume drinking and heavy episodic drinking (HED). We employed a novel method in alcohol research, the concentration index, to measure socioeconomic inequalities.
  
  
  
  Alcohol abstinence showed a strong association with lower SES in Chile and Finland. These were largely driven by inequalities among women in Chile and older subgroups in Finland. In both countries, women aged 45-64 of higher SES showed higher weekly consumption of pure alcohol and heavy volume drinking. Heavy volume drinking among Chilean women aged 45-64 showed the highest inequality, favouring higher SES. HED was equally distributed among SES groups in Chile; in Finland HED disproportionally affected lower SES groups.
  
  
  
  Lower SES was associated with higher abstinence rates in both countries and heavy episodic drinking in Finland. Heavy volume drinking was more prevalent in middle-aged women of high SES. The results identified groups for targeted interventions, including middle-aged higher SES women, who traditionally have not been specifically targeted. The concentration index could be a useful measure of inequalities in alcohol use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: spena@saludstgo.cl.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: pia.makela@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Pontifical Catholic University, Marcoleta 434, Casilla 114D, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: valdivia@med.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valdivia
authors.affiliation: Department of Welfare, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: satu.helakorpi@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Helakorpi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University Diego Portales, Ejército 233, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: niina.markkula@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Niina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Markkula
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Pontifical Catholic University, Marcoleta 434, Casilla 114D, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: pmargoz@med.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Margozzini
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 168, PO 22671, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: seppo.koskinen@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koskinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence / Q000191:economics*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics*; D002677:Chile; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Alcohol drinking; Concentration index; Health equity; Socioeconomic factors