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Table 1 Bivariate associations between socio-demographic characteristics and drinker type

From: Drinking patterns and the distribution of alcohol-related harms in Ireland: evidence for the prevention paradox

 

n

Total (n = 4338; 100.0%)

Low risk (n = 1345; 31.0%)

Occasional HED (n = 1326; 30.6%)

Monthly HED (n = 1368, 31.5%)

Dependent (n = 299, 6.9%)

p

Gender

 Male

2163

49.9%

29.6%

48.8%

67.0%

67.4%

<.0001

 Female

2175

50.1%

70.4%

51.3%

33.0%

32.6%

Age

 18–24

598

13.8%

5.4%

11.6%

20.7%

29.5%

<.0001

 25–34

1069

24.7%

17.6%

25.5%

27.1%

41.2%

 35–49

1411

32.5%

32.7%

38.8%

29.8%

16.8%

 50–64

899

20.7%

27.5%

19.1%

18.0%

9.7%

 65–75

359

8.3%

16.7%

5.0%

4.5%

2.8%

Marital status

 Single/never married

1282

29.6%

15.8%

26.6%

39.9%

57.5%

<.0001

 Married/cohabiting

2772

63.9%

74.7%

67.8%

55.8%

35.6%

 Divorced/separated/ widowed

283

6.5%

9.6%

5.6%

4.3%

6.9%

Employment status

 Employed

2573

59.3%

51.4%

63.7%

63.8%

54.8%

<.0001

 Unemployed

399

9.2%

6.3%

8.4%

11.1%

17.0%

 Economically inactive

932

21.5%

37.0%

18.8%

12.0%

7.3%

 Student

433

10.0%

5.3%

9.1%

13.1%

20.9%

Income

 Under 20,000

2152

55.3%

60.9%

50.7%

52.8%

62.0%

<.0001

 Above 20,000

1742

44.7%

39.1%

49.3%

47.2%

38.0%

Age of first use

 15 or under

808

18.7%

7.7%

18.8%

25.3%

37.5%

<.0001

 16–17

1692

39.2%

27.1%

43.5%

45.5%

45.0%

 18–20

1199

27.7%

36.6%

27.2%

22.6%

13.9%

 21+

623

14.4%

28.6%

10.5%

6.6%

3.6%

  1. HED: Heavy episodic drinking; Occasional HED; engaged in HED 1–11 times in the last year; Monthly HED; engaged in HED at least once a month in last year; Dependent: meets criteria for DSM-IV alcohol dependence