'I have no interest in drinking': a cross-national comparison of reasons why men and women abstain from alcohol useAddiction Early View 4 Aug 2009
To examine country differences in reasons for abstaining including the association of reasons with country abstaining rate and drinking pattern.
Reasons for abstaining differed significantly for life-time abstainers compared to former drinkers, by gender and age, and by country-level abstaining rate and frequency of drinking.
Life-time abstainers were more likely than former drinkers to endorse 'no interest', 'religion' and 'upbringing' and more reasons overall. Gender differences, especially among former drinkers, suggested that norms restricting drinking may influence reasons that women abstain ('no interest', 'not liking taste') while drinking experiences may be more important considerations for men ('afraid of alcohol problems', 'bad effect on activities').
Younger age was associated with normative reasons ('no interest', 'taste', 'waste of money') and possibly bad experiences ('afraid of problems'). Reasons such as 'religion', 'waste of money' and 'afraid of alcohol problems' were associated with higher country-level rates of abstaining.
Higher endorsement of 'drinking is bad for health' and 'taste' were associated with a country pattern of less frequent drinking while 'not liking effects' was associated with higher drinking frequency.
Reasons for abstaining depend on type of abstainer, gender, age and country drinking norms and patterns.
Request Reprint E-Mail: sbernar4@uwo.ca
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