Excessive alcohol consumption, are there gender differences?

Abstract

Alcohol consumption is a very widespread practice in our society, despite its harmful consequences (alcohol poisoning, traffic accidents, brawls, STIs, etc.). Although its effects affect the entire population, regardless of gender or age, preventive strategies do not always take such diversity into account; aspect that, surely, reduces its effectiveness. Given the need to have a more specific profile of those who consume alcohol in a riskier way, the goal of this work is to find out if there are differences, according to gender and age, in the experience of some consequences derived from alcohol consumption. For that purpose, 60 participants (35 women and 25 men), aged between 22 and 64, answered a survey on substance use. Results show that 100% of men and 97% of women have consumed alcohol. Men are who have vomited the most due to the alcohol intake (52.8%; 2=4.91; p=.027), the more times they have gone intoxicated to work (87.5%; 2=7.72; p=.005), and the more times they have driven drunk (66.7%; 2=7.88; p=.005). Additionally, the only difference that exists based on age is focused on the experience of having vomited, being greater among older people. According to the results, the amount of risk consequences associated with excessive alcohol consumption is concerning, especially for men; also highlighting the vomiting indicator according to age. That is why, when carrying out prevention interventions, gender perspective should be taken into account, expanding efforts to all ages in the same way, and not only focusing campaigns and interventions on the youngest.