Educational differences in excessive alcohol consumption: The role of psychosocial and material stressors

Background. Socioeconomic differences in health are determined mainly by so cioeconomic differences in unhealthy behavior. Little is known, however, ab out the mechanisms that account for socioeconomic differences in unhealthy behavior, such as excessive alcohol consumption. In this paper we examined educational differences in excessive alcohol consumption in The Netherlands and whether these may be explained by educational differences in experienc ed stress and stress-moderating factors. Methods. Data were obtained from the baseline survey of the Longitudinal St udy on Socio Economic Health Differences in 1991. Excessive drinking was de fined as drinking more than six glasses on 3 or more days a week or more th an four glasses on 5 or more days a week. Socioeconomic status was indicate d by educational level. Stressors were divided into psychosocial and materi al factors. Analyses were performed for women (n = 756) and men (n = 1,006) separately, among drinkers only. Results. Excessive alcohol consumption was more common among lower educatio nal groups. Material stressors, such as financial problems, deprivation, an d income, were related to part of the educational gradient in excessive alc ohol consumption. Differences in stress-moderating factors were not related to the educational gradient in excessive drinking. Conclusions. Our results suggest that improvement of material conditions am ong the lower educational groups could result in a reduction of socioeconom ic differences in excessive alcohol consumption. (C) 1999 American Health F oundation and Academic Press.