Gender differences in drinking behaviour in the Netherlands: convergence or stability?

Abstract

Gender differences in drinking behavior are analysed with emphasis on their relationship with changes in roles and positions of men and women in society. The 'convergence hypothesis' is used as a starting point. From its implications, a number of specific hypotheses are derived and tested using data from six surveys of the general population of the Netherlands, held between 1958 and 1993. No convergence of gender differences is found for abstinence and heavy frequent drinking. Convergence of male-female differences in average weekly consumption appeared in the 1980s, but it is no longer significant at 5% level after controlling for age, education and family situation. Further elaboration of the gender by year interaction shows that convergence is related to a decrease in consumption among higher educated men. Contrary to expectation, an increase in consumption has occurred among women over 40 years of age. No relationship appears with female employment and religion. Having a family is related to lower consumption among women, while it has no significant effect on men's consumption. Although some evidence for convergence was found, results are not in agreement with expectations formulated from the perspective of the convergence hypothesis.

Evidence for a closing gender gap in alcohol use, abuse, and dependence in the United States population

“…We additionally showed that frequent binge drinking increased monotonically among women by birth cohort. This finding is contrary to other large studies of women only (Wilsnack et al,2006;Neve et al, 1996) that suggested declines in heavy episodic drinking (6+ drinks once per week or more). The present study is perhaps more representative of recent overall trends in frequent binge drinking in the United States due to 1) a larger, epidemiologic sample of both males and females in the U.S. population and 2) a cohort of more recently born participants.…”

“…In the Netherlands, convergence was suggested by linear increases in average weekly alcohol consumption during a time when consumption among men decreased (Neve et al, 1993;Saelan et al, 1992), although this effect was not seen for weekly heavy (≥6 drinks) drinking (Neve et al, 1996). Converging rates of mean weekly drinking due mainly to increases among women by cohort were found in a survey in Finland, but not in Germany, Switzerland, or the Netherlands (Bloomfield et al, 2001).…”

Drinking patterns between men and women in two distinct Brazilian communities

“…Some evidence of this has been reported in the past decade. [24][25][26] Nevertheless, other researches have found persistence of gender differences, both in general adult populations, 27,28 as well as in university students and young adult samples. 29 This is a critical area of study that requires further investigation.…”

Alcohol Consumption among Middle-Aged Women: A Population-Based Study of Swedish Women

“…In a study based on surveys of the general population of the Netherlands from 1958 to 1993, an increase in alcohol consumption among women over 40 years of age was found [2]. In a longitudinal population-based study from Sweden, the alcohol consumption for 50-year-old women was examined three times between 1968 and 1993.…”