Drinking at home: how do socioeconomic factors influence self-pouring behaviours?

Background. An increasing number of people in the UK prefer to consume alcohol at home. However, people may face the problem that when drinking at home, it might be difficult to measure the amount of alcohol consumed. The aim of this research was to investigate how many units of alcohol people pour when drinking at home, whether people are accurate about estimation of unit content in their drink, and how do socioeconomic factors influence the amount of alcohol people pour for themselves. Researchers hypothesized that people would underestimate how many units of alcohol they pour for themselves. Methods. Seventy-four participants (29 males, 43 females, 1 transgender male, 1 transgender female, mean age = 41.39) took part in a study where researchers asked them to choose a glass, a simulated alcoholic drink (wine or spirit), and to pour however much they would at home; then, participants were asked to estimate how many units of alcohol they thought a drink contained. Participants were also asked to fill in a brief demographic questionnaire and an alcohol screening test (AUDIT-C). Results. Results indicated that people underestimate how many units of alcohol they pour. Mean number of units poured was 2.56. Men poured more units than women, and people who reported drinking more in their daily life poured more units than people who reported drinking less. Additionally, people with higher deprivation score scored higher on AUDIT-C. Conclusions. People often underestimate how much alcohol they consume, and it could have important implications for healthcare. Some populations are more prone to pouring more units, and therefore should be especially careful when monitoring own alcohol consumption.