Predictors of hazardous drinking among home drinkers

Introduction and Aims: The United Kingdom has witnessed a shift from drinking in bars to drinking at home; to date, this phenomenon has received little international attention. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of hazardous drinking (HD) levels when drinking at home. Design: An internet survey of university staff (n = 488) was given. Methods: Following an elimination process (p ≤ 0.05), a regression analysis was conducted using AUDIT scores as cutoffs of ≥6 females, and ≥8 males; these are consistent with most international research. Results: There were 286 hazardous drinkers (HD) (181, females 63.3%) and (105, males 36.7%). The variables that predicted HD were female (OR = 5.42 95% CI 1.87–15.66), younger age, greater frequency of consuming alcohol at home, preloading (drinking before going out), purchasing alcohol in an off license, and drinking alcohol at home because it is cheaper than drinking out. Discussion and Conclusions: These findings point to an interaction of gender, age purchasing patterns, and motivations contributing to hazardous drinking at home and indicate further profitable areas of national and international research.