Comparing Subjective Intoxication With Risky Single-Occasion Drinking in a European Sample
Abstract
Introduction
In most epidemiological literature, heavy alcohol use – an alcohol use pattern recognized as closely linked to alcohol-attributable diseases – is recorded using the measure risky single-occasion alcohol use [drinking] (RSOD), which is based on alcohol use above a certain quantity. In contrast, subjective intoxication (SI) as an alternative measure can provide additional information, including the alcohol user’s subjective perceptions and cultural influences on alcohol consumption. However, there is a lack of research comparing both.
Method
The current article investigates this comparison, using data from the Standardized European Alcohol Survey from 2015. This study analyzed the data of 12,512 women and 12,516 men from 17 European countries and one region. The analysis calculated survey-weighted prevalence of SI and RSOD and compared them using Spearman rank correlation and regression models. The study examined the role of the required quantity of alcohol needed for the alcohol user to perceive impairments and analyzed additional demographic and sociodemographic characteristics as well as alcohol use patterns.
Results
In the most locations, the prevalence of SI was lower or equal to the prevalence of RSOD. Both prevalence estimates were highly correlated. Almost 8% of the variance in the difference between the individual-level frequencies of the SI and RSOD measures was explained by the individual quantity of alcohol needed to perceive impairments. Sociodemographic characteristics and alcohol patterns explained less than 20% in the adjusted perceived quantity of alcohol needed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the results indicated that subjective measures of intoxication are not a preferable indicator of heavy alcohol use to the more conventional measures of RSOD.
