TY - JOUR PY - 2019// TI - Correlates of reduced alcohol consumption among a sample of young Australians JO - Alcohol and alcoholism A1 - Raggatt, Michelle A1 - Wright, Cassandra A1 - Dietze, Paul A1 - Pennay, Amy A1 - Caluzzi, Gabriel A1 - Lim, Megan SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - AIMS: Population data suggest that a significant proportion of young drinkers are reducing or ceasing their alcohol use; however, there is a lack of information about the characteristics of young people who do so. Our study aimed to determine characteristics associated with self-reported attempted and successful alcohol reduction and cessation among young people in Victoria, Australia.

METHODS: Data are from a cross-sectional online survey with young people aged 15-29 years living in Victoria, Australia. Participants who reported consuming alcohol in the past 12 months were included in the analysis (N = 1,162).

RESULTS: Alcohol drinking cessation in the past 12 months was reported by 3.8% (n = 44) and reduced alcohol consumption was reported by 32.1% (n = 371) of participants. Characteristics associated with trying to reduce or cease alcohol consumption were older age, being born overseas, drinking at hazardous levels, experiencing alcohol-related harms and interest in health content on social media. Characteristics associated with successful alcohol reduction or cessation were being born overseas and experiencing alcohol-related harm, while being a member of a religious group was negatively associated.

CONCLUSIONS: Recent reduction in alcohol consumption was common among young people in this study. Recent reduction in alcohol consumption was common among young people in this study. A combination of factors appear to be correlated with recent attempts to reduce drinking young people including socio-demographic characteristics, religiosity, drinking practices and experience of harm, and interest in health.

© The Author(s) 2019. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0735-0414 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agz057 ID - ref1 ER -