Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116933

Hsiao-ye Yi, PhD¹, Chiung M. Chen, MA¹, and Michael E. Hilton, PhD². (1) Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System, NIH/NIAAA, CSR, Incorporated, 2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1000, Arlington, VA 22201, 703-312-5220, hyi@csrincorporated.com, (2) Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304, Bethesda, MD 20892-9304

Previous studies have indicated that a large proportion of alcohol is consumed by a relatively small population of heavy drinkers (e.g., Greenfield & Rogers 1999). The degree of this concentration is as important as the average consumption level in monitoring health outcomes of heavy drinking and developing prevention strategies. The purpose of the current study is to present measures of the level and concentration of alcohol consumption among U.S. adult drinkers using data from the 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).

26,946 respondents who reported consuming at least one drink in the past 12 months were selected for the analysis. The average daily volume of alcohol consumption was calculated for total beverages and by four beverage types for sex, age, and race/ethnicity subpopulation groups. The GINI coefficient was computed to assess the degree of consumption concentration within these subpopulation groups.

Results show that, on average, drinkers consumed 0.58 ounces of ethanol (about 1 drink) per day. The GINI coefficient for total drinkers was 0.78, indicating a high concentration in the amount consumed by heavy drinkers. While the average daily consumption among males was much higher than among females (0.82 and 0.32 ounces, respectively), the concentration was slightly higher among females than among males (GINI=0.80 and 0.74, respectively). American Indian and Black drinkers consumed more (0.89 and 0.67 ounces, respectively) than White, Hispanic, and Asian drinkers (0.57, 0.54, and 0.40 ounces, respectively). The concentration was highest among Hispanics (GINI=0.83) and lowest among Whites (GINI=0.76).

Learning Objectives:

(
• To inform participants of the level and distribution of alcohol consumed by various subpopulation groups based on data from a recent national survey. (
• To emphasize the importance of both the average level and the degree of concentration of alcohol consumption in monitoring health outcomes of heavy drinking and developing prevention strategies.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.