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Gender equality, drinking cultures and second-hand harms from alcohol in the 50 US states
Karriker-Jaffe, K. J., Tam, C. C., Cook, W. K., Greenfield, T. K., & Roberts, S. C. M. (2019). Gender equality, drinking cultures and second-hand harms from alcohol in the 50 US states. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(23), Article 4619. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16234619
BACKGROUND: Gender inequality and cultures of binge drinking may increase the risk of second-hand harms from alcohol.
METHODS: Using the 2014-2015 National Alcohol Survey and 2015 National Alcohol's Harm to Others Survey (N = 7792), we examine associations of state-level gender equality measures (contraceptive access, abortion rights, women's economic equality) and binge drinking cultures (rates of men's and women's binge drinking) with individual-level indicators of second-hand harms by drinking strangers and partners/spouses.
RESULTS: In main effects models, only male binge drinking was associated with greater odds of harms from drinking strangers. There were significant interactions of gender equality with male binge drinking: High male binge drinking rates were more strongly associated with stranger-perpetrated harms in states low on contraceptive access or abortion rights compared to states high on these measures. Conversely, male binge drinking was more strongly associated with spouse/partner-perpetrated second-hand harms in states with more economic equality, compared to states lower on this measure.
CONCLUSIONS: Detrimental effects of high male binge drinking rates may be modified by gender equality. Targeted interventions may reduce alcohol-related harms experienced by women in states with high rates of male binge drinking. Restrictions in access to contraception and abortion may exacerbate harms due to men's drinking.