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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Beliefs and attitudes about addressing alcohol consumption in health care: a population survey in England

Authors: Amy O’Donnell, Latifa Abidi, Jamie Brown, Nadine Karlsson, Per Nilsen, Kerstin Roback, Janna Skagerström, Kristin Thomas

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

Despite robust evidence for their effectiveness, it has proven difficult to translate alcohol prevention activities into routine health care practice. Previous research has identified numerous provider-level barriers affecting implementation, but these have been less extensively investigated in the wider population. We sought to: (1) investigate patients’ beliefs and attitudes to being asked about alcohol consumption in health care; and (2) identify the characteristics of those who are supportive of addressing alcohol consumption in health care.

Methods

Cross-sectional household interviews conducted as part of the national Alcohol Toolkit Study in England between March and April 2017. Data were collected on age, gender, social grade, drinking category, and beliefs and attitudes to being asked about alcohol in routine health care. Unadjusted and multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models were performed to investigate associations between socio-demographic characteristics and drinking category with being “pro-routine” (i.e. ‘agree completely’ that alcohol consumption should be routinely addressed in health care) or “pro-personal” (i.e. ‘agree completely’ that alcohol is a personal matter and not something health care providers should ask about).

Results

Data were collected on 3499 participants, of whom 50% were “pro-routine” and 10% were “pro-personal”. Those in social grade C1, C2, D and E were significantly less likely than those in AB of being “pro-routine”. Women were less likely than men to be “pro-personal”, and those aged 35–44 or 65 years plus more likely to be “pro-personal” compared with participants aged 16–24. Respondents aged 65 plus were twice as likely as those aged 16–24 to agree completely that alcohol consumption is a personal matter and not something health care providers should ask about (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.34–2.99).

Conclusions

Most adults in England agree that health care providers should routinely ask about patients’ alcohol consumption. However, older adults and those in lower socio-economic groups are less supportive. Drinking status appears to have limited impact on whether people believe that alcohol is a personal matter and not something health care providers should ask about.

Registration

Open Science Framework (https://​osf.​io/​xn2st/​).
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Metadata
Title
Beliefs and attitudes about addressing alcohol consumption in health care: a population survey in England
Authors
Amy O’Donnell
Latifa Abidi
Jamie Brown
Nadine Karlsson
Per Nilsen
Kerstin Roback
Janna Skagerström
Kristin Thomas
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5275-2

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