Gender differences in alcohol consumption and adverse drinking consequences: cross-cultural patterns

Aims. To examine the consistency and/or variability of gender differences i n drinking behavior cross-culturally. Design, setting, participants. Women' s and men's responses in 16 general population surveys from 10 countries, a nalyzed by members of the International Research Group on Gender and Alcoho l. Measurements. Comparable measures of drinking, versus abstention, typica l drinking frequencies and quantities, heavy episodic drinking, intoxicatio n, morning drinking, and alcohol-related family and occupational problems. Findings. Women and men differed little in the probability of currently dri nking versus abstaining, but men consistently exceeded women in typical dri nking frequencies and quantities and in rates of heavy drinking episodes an d adverse drinking consequences, while women were consistently more likely than;men to be life-time abstainers. In older age groups, both men and wome n drank smaller quantities of alcohol,and were more likely to stop drinking altogether, but drinking frequencies did nor change consistently with age. Conclusions. A theoretical synthesis proposes that gender roles may amplif y biological differences in;reactions to alcohol, and that gender differenc es in drinking behavior may be modified by macrosocial factors that modify gender role contrasts.