Alcohol consumption patterns, diet and body weight in 10 European countries

Abstract

Background/objectives: Europe has the highest level of alcohol consumption in the world. As drinking patterns are important determinants of the beneficial and harmful effects of alcohol consumption, we investigated alcohol consumption in relation to nutrient intake, place of consumption, education and body weight in a sample of adults from 10 European countries. Methods: A 24-h dietary recall interview was conducted on 13 025 men and 23 009 women, aged 35-74 years, from 27 centres participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Means and standard errors of alcohol consumption, adjusted for age, were calculated, stratified by gender and centre. Results: In many centres, higher level drinkers (males consuming 424 g of ethanol/day, equivalent to 42 standard drinks and females consuming 412 g of ethanol/day equivalent to 41 standard drink) obtained more energy from fat and protein and less Guarantor: S Sieri. Contributors: The writing group leaders (SS, VK) conducted statistical analyses, prepared tables and figures, and wrote the paper, taking into account comments from all co-authors. NS was overall project coordinator of this project and of the EPIC nutrient database (ENDB) project. SS, VK, CS, DEG, SR, MB and PF were members of the writing group and gave input on statistical analyses, manuscript drafting and results interpretation. The other co-authors were local EPIC collaborators involved in the collection of dietary and other data, and contributed to the ENDB project. ER is the overall coordinator of EPIC. All co-authors provided comments and suggestions on the manuscript and approved the final version. from sugar than did abstainers. The proportion of energy from starch tended to be higher for male and lower for female higher level drinkers than for abstainers. Female higher level drinkers had a lower body mass index than did abstainers, whereas male higher level drinkers generally weighed more. Male higher level drinkers were less educated than abstainers in Mediterranean countries, but were more educated elsewhere. Female higher level drinkers were usually more educated than were abstainers. Outside the home, consumption (both genders) tended to be at friends' homes, particularly among men in Northern and Central Europe, and in bars in Spain. Conclusions: This study reveals clear geographical differences in drinking habits across Europe, and shows that the characteristics of different alcohol consumption categories also vary.

Urinary excretions of 34 dietary polyphenols and their associations with lifestyle factors in the EPIC cohort study

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The role of emotional states in fruit and vegetable consumption in Brazilian adults

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Energy intake and sources of energy intake in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

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