Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

___________________________________________

Friday, February 1, 2008

Alcohol Consumption, Abstaining, Health Utility, and Quality of Life – A General Population Survey in Finland
Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on February 1, 2008


To examine the associations between alcohol consumptionand utility-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL), subjective quality of life (QoL), self-rated health (SRH), and mental distress.

Negative associations between alcohol and well-being were observed on several measures for women consuming more than 173 g and men more than 229 g per week. Former drinkers scored worst on most measures, even in comparison to the highest drinking decile. For men, all statistically significant associations between moderate drinking and well-being disappeared when sociodemographic factors and former drinkers were controlled for. For women, moderate alcohol use associated with better SRH and EQ-5D as compared to abstainers. However, the possible health utility benefits associated with moderate alcohol consumption were of clinically insignificant magnitude.

Failure to separate former drinkers and other abstainers produces a significant bias favoring moderate drinkers. As the possible health utility benefits of moderate alcohol use were clinically insignificant, it suffices to investigate mortality, when estimating the public health impact of moderate alcohol consumption using quality-adjusted life years.


Read Full Abstract


Request Reprint E-Mail: samuli.saarni@helsinki.fi

___________________________________________________________________


at