The epidemiology of alcohol use in Australian women: findings from a national survey of women's drinking

This is the first study of alcohol use, alcohol problems and alcohol dependence in a general population sample of Australian women using a standardized screening instrument developed by the World Health Organization, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Sixty-six percent of a sample of 6000 women randomly selected from the electoral rolls responded to the questionnaire. The majority of women (87%) had drunk alcohol at some time in their lives, while 82% had consumed alcohol within the past 12 months. Of the women who currently drank alcohol, 34% were classified as hazardous drinkers, 4% as harmful drinkers and 1% as dependent according to AUDIT definitions. Using a cut-off score of 8 for the AUDIT, 8% of women were classified as currently having a drinking pattern of hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption. These women were more likely to be younger (17-44 years), single, or living in a de facto relationship. The results of this survey provide important data which can be used as a bench-mark to measure changes in women's drinking behaviour and drinking related problems.