Summary: Moderate drinkers who regularly binge are far more likely to develop alcohol use problems than moderate drinkers who do not binge.
Source: Elsevier
A new study from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, shows that moderate drinkers who engage in binge drinking face a substantially higher risk of alcohol-related problems than moderate drinkers who distribute the same total alcohol across more frequent, smaller amounts.
Using a national sample of U.S. adults, lead researcher Charles Holahan, PhD, and colleagues found that moderate average drinkers who binge were nearly five times more likely to experience multiple alcohol problems at the same time, and more than twice as likely to report multiple alcohol problems nine years later, compared with moderate drinkers who did not binge.
For the purposes of the study, moderate drinking was defined as an average of no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. Binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks on a single occasion.
“An individual whose total consumption is seven drinks on Saturday night presents a greater risk profile than someone whose total consumption is a daily drink with dinner, even though their average drinking level is the same,” said Dr. Holahan. The findings highlight how drinking pattern—not only average consumption—affects the risk of developing alcohol problems and alcohol use disorders.
This research adds to a growing recognition that binge drinking among adults is a significant public health concern and underscores the need for prevention efforts that target binge drinking behavior across the adult population.
Much of the existing research and public attention on binge drinking focuses on adolescents and college students, but the study emphasizes that most binge drinking occurs among adults over 30, and that adult binge drinking is increasing. Past studies that concentrate solely on average consumption can mask these binge patterns and their harms, leaving many moderate drinkers unaware of their elevated risk.
Rudolf Moos, PhD, a co-author and professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, noted that discussions about moderate drinking often ignore drinking patterns. “This leaves many drinkers mistakenly assuming that a moderate average level of consumption is safe, regardless of drinking pattern,” he said.
To examine how binge drinking affects later alcohol problems, the research team analyzed survey responses from 1,229 current drinkers aged 30 and older. The data came from two waves of the Midlife Development in the United States study, allowing the investigators to assess drinking patterns and alcohol-related consequences over a nine-year period.
The results were notable: most instances of binge drinking and most cases of multiple alcohol problems occurred among people whose average drinking level classified them as moderate drinkers. In statistical models that controlled for average consumption, binge drinking was associated with nearly triple the number of concurrent alcohol problems and a 40 percent increase in the number of alcohol problems measured nine years later. Specifically among moderate drinkers, binge drinking was linked to almost five times the likelihood of concurrent multiple alcohol problems and more than double the risk of multiple alcohol problems nine years later.
The investigators emphasize that these findings broaden the public health perspective on alcohol risk. Traditional prevention and intervention strategies tend to focus on habitual heavy drinkers, a smaller but high-risk group. This study suggests that efforts to reduce alcohol problems should also include moderate-average drinkers who engage in binge drinking, since they account for a large share of binge episodes and alcohol-related harms in the adult population.
About this alcohol and addiction research news
Author: Eileen Leahy
Source: Elsevier
Contact: Eileen Leahy – Elsevier
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: “Binge Drinking and Alcohol Problems Among Moderate Average-Level Drinkers” by Kaulie Watson et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine (open access)
Abstract
Binge Drinking and Alcohol Problems Among Moderate Average-Level Drinkers
Introduction
A substantial portion of adult binge drinking escapes public health attention because it happens among people who drink at a moderate average level. This observational study evaluated how a binge drinking pattern predicts alcohol problems among moderate drinkers in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.
Methods
The sample included 1,229 current drinkers aged 30 years or older drawn from two waves of the Midlife Development in the United States study, with a nine-year interval between assessments (2004–2015). Analyses were conducted in 2021–2022. Negative binomial regression examined the number of alcohol problems, and logistic regression examined the presence of multiple (two or more) alcohol problems.
Results
Controlling for average drinking level, binge drinking was associated with nearly three times the number of concurrent alcohol problems and a 40 percent increase in alcohol problems measured prospectively nine years later. Moderate-average drinkers accounted for most binge drinking episodes and most cases of multiple alcohol problems. Within the moderate group, binge drinking was associated with nearly five times the odds of concurrent multiple alcohol problems and more than double the odds of multiple alcohol problems nine years later.
Conclusions
These results strengthen the case that binge drinking among adults is a pressing public health issue. Prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing alcohol problems should include moderate-average drinkers who binge, in addition to strategies targeting the smaller population of habitual heavy drinkers. Incorporating drinking pattern into clinical screening and public health messaging could help reduce alcohol-related harm and improve population health.