New binge-drinking research focusing on Australian women has found more are drinking at dangerous levels, despite facing increasingly harmful consequences.
A Flinders University study found that the equivalent of more than 300,000 women were regularly drinking at “very high risk” levels – 11 or more standard drinks in one sitting at least once a month.
“Despite being more vulnerable to alcohol-related harms, women have historically been underrepresented in alcohol research,” Victoria Kostadinov from the College of Medicine and Public Health said.
“In particular, research regarding women who drink at very high levels is lacking, with most of the research not differentiating between those who drink slightly above the official guidelines (four standard drinks per day/10 per week) and those who drink well above these levels.”
Kostadinov said this lack of research focus was “especially concerning” given women were more susceptible than men to severe drink-related health problems, including liver issues, heart disease, cancer, and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
There is also growing evidence that alcohol may interact with women’s natural biological rhythms, such as estrogen and progesterone cycles, and that the impact of alcohol worsens with age and menopause.
Daily alcohol consumption among Australian women increased by 203 per cent between 1950 and 1980, compared to just six per cent among men.
At the same time, the scientists said, research has shown that since the 1990s there has been a clear push to market alcohol products, drinking spaces and drinking culture specifically to women.
The Flinders University study is the first of its kind in Australia to examine the prevalence and characteristics of women who drink at very high-risk levels – and compare it with men – to create a national profile.
The study found that a greater proportion of men consumed alcohol at very high-risk levels than women (10.4 per cent of men and 3.1 per cent of women).
Furthermore, the characteristics of high-risk women drinkers appeared to be different from their male counterparts, with women more likely to be younger, unmarried, experience high psychological distress, and have a mental health condition compared to men who drink at similar levels.
“Our findings support the need for tailored strategies to prevent and manage very high-risk consumption among women, with a focus on how sex and gender can affect responses to treatment, policies, and health promotion messages,” Kostadinov said.
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National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction director Professor Jacqueline Bowden said alcohol was classed in the same group of carcinogens as asbestos, radiation, and tobacco.
“Alcohol consumption can increase women’s risk of various cancers, including digestive, breast and pancreatic cancer, as well as other health issues and being susceptible to alcohol-related abuse,” Bowden said.
“The findings from this research highlight the need for tailored strategies to prevent and manage very high-risk consumption among women.”
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