Drinking Across the Divide: Rural and Metro Alcohol Consumption
Disciplines
Public Health
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Alcohol consumption remains a critical public health concern in the United States due to its relationship to negative health outcomes with chronic illnesses, injury, and preventable deaths. Alcohol use patterns can vary due to a variety of factors, one in particular, geographical locations such as whether a person lives in a Rural or Metro area. This study was created to investigate whether the area a person lives affects how often they consume alcohol. It's hypothesized that there will be significant differences in how alcohol is consumed across a year in different counties. The data was obtained from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a national survey conducted on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study focused on 4 key variables: county type, which described the type of area a person lived, Rural or Metro, the total number of days alcohol was consumed in the past 12 months, participant age, and whether the drink was consumed alone or with others. Individuals who fell under the age of 18 and participants who reported no alcohol use throughout the study were excluded. County type only categorizes participants as living in Rural or Metro areas, as this study is not interested in studying the specific type of Metro/Rural area. The exploratory data analysis revealed that participants consumed alcohol on an average of 78.82 days (SD = 90.26), with older adults consuming alcohol more frequently than younger adults. Most of the participants reported drinking socially, with 68.77% consuming alcohol with at least one other person rather than alone. Metro participants reported a slightly higher average of days of alcohol use compared to Rural participants. This analysis could help researchers identify high-risk groups and create prevention strategies to reduce negative alcohol use-related outcomes.
Use of AI Disclaimer
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Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS – Health Promotion and Physical Education
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Kevin B. Gittner
Drinking Across the Divide: Rural and Metro Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption remains a critical public health concern in the United States due to its relationship to negative health outcomes with chronic illnesses, injury, and preventable deaths. Alcohol use patterns can vary due to a variety of factors, one in particular, geographical locations such as whether a person lives in a Rural or Metro area. This study was created to investigate whether the area a person lives affects how often they consume alcohol. It's hypothesized that there will be significant differences in how alcohol is consumed across a year in different counties. The data was obtained from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a national survey conducted on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study focused on 4 key variables: county type, which described the type of area a person lived, Rural or Metro, the total number of days alcohol was consumed in the past 12 months, participant age, and whether the drink was consumed alone or with others. Individuals who fell under the age of 18 and participants who reported no alcohol use throughout the study were excluded. County type only categorizes participants as living in Rural or Metro areas, as this study is not interested in studying the specific type of Metro/Rural area. The exploratory data analysis revealed that participants consumed alcohol on an average of 78.82 days (SD = 90.26), with older adults consuming alcohol more frequently than younger adults. Most of the participants reported drinking socially, with 68.77% consuming alcohol with at least one other person rather than alone. Metro participants reported a slightly higher average of days of alcohol use compared to Rural participants. This analysis could help researchers identify high-risk groups and create prevention strategies to reduce negative alcohol use-related outcomes.