The Health Benefits of Moderate Drinking Revisited: Alcohol Use and Self-Reported Health Status

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine the association between alcohol use and self-reported health status. In particular, we sought to determine whether moderate drinkers are more likely to self-report above-average health status compared with other current drinkers, former drinkers, and lifetime abstainers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Continental United States. SUBJECTS: The sample adult component of the 2002 U.S. National Health Interview Survey (n = 31,044), representative of the U.S. noninstitutionalized civilian household population. MEASURES: Dichotomous measure of above-average self-reported health status relative to all other health states. Several measures characterized alcohol use patterns (i.e., continuous and categorical measure of alcohol use, a proxy measure of problem drinking, former drinking, lifetime abstaining). Chronic health conditions and various demographic and lifestyle factors were included as covariates in all regression models. RESULTS: For both men and women, current moderate drinkers had the highest odds (OR = 1.27 for men, p < .01; OR = 2.03 for women, p < .01) of reporting above-average health status compared with other current drinkers, former drinkers, and lifetime abstainers. The odds dropped to 1.12 and 1.34, respectively, when all past-year drinkers were collapsed into a single group. CONCLUSION: Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with the highest odds of reporting above-average health status, even after controlling for chronic health conditions and demographic and lifestyle factors associated with health.