Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39501200›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

The alcohol harm paradox: is it valid for self-reported alcohol harms and does hazardous drinking pattern matter?

Ingeborg Rossow, Elin K Bye

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. A Data-Driven Exploratory Analysis of the Alcohol-Harm Paradox in South-East Wales.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Ingeborg RossowDept of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Research, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. Ingeborg.Rossow@fhi.no.ORCID 0000-0001-8652-9367
Elin K ByeDept of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Research, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0001-7559-8885

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe alcohol harm paradox (APH) posits that alcohol harms are more prevalent in low socioeconomic position (SEP) groups compared to high SEP groups, when adjusted for alcohol consumption volume.

aimWe explored whether APH is valid for self-reported alcohol harms and whether SEP differences in hazardous drinking patterns may explain SEP differences in alcohol harms, accounting for consumption volume. DATA AND

methodsWe applied cross-sectional data from national population surveys in Norway, restricted to a subsample of past month drinkers aged 25-79 years (n = 8 171). Two binary outcome measures of self-reported alcohol-related harms were constructed from the AUDIT-10 items 4 through 10; alcohol dependence symptoms and alcohol related consequences. We separated two SEP groups based on education level: low versus high. Employing logistic regression models, we examined the extent to which SEP differences in alcohol-related harms were attributable to a more hazardous drinking pattern in terms of: (i) heavy episodic drinking and (ii) proportion of consumption volume by spirits, adjusting for consumption volume and demographic characteristics.

resultsIn the low SEP group, alcohol-related harms were significantly more prevalent as compared to the high SEP group when adjusted for gender and age, and more so after adjustment for consumption volume. Measures of hazardous drinking pattern and having a spouse could only to a minor extent account for the elevated risk of alcohol-related harm in the low SEP group. The findings were robust across various sensitivity analyses.

conclusionLow SEP was associated with alcohol-related harm and a more hazardous drinking pattern but also with lower consumption volume. The findings support the validity of the alcohol harm paradox for self-reported alcohol harms.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingSelf ReportAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNorwayAlcohol Harm ParadoxAlcohol related harmsHazardous drinking patternSocio-economic position

Identifiers

PMID39501200
PMCPMC11539690

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.