[Geography of French alcohol consumption]

Abstract

Background: Alcohol consumption is still a major public health problem in France. A recent survey in the general population provided an overall picture of regional differences of alcohol consumption and demonstrated the difficulty encountered in comparing declarative data and economic and health data.

Methods: A method based on standardisation was applied to control the effects of age and gender in order to demonstrate regional differences in daily alcohol intake and episodes of drunkenness during the year as well as differences in weekly alcohol intake. A hierarchical clustering was performed based on these indicators in order to obtain a regional map.

Results: Three classes of regions were distinguished. The first group included regions where the prevalence of drunkenness or alcohol intake was particularly high (Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Burgundy, Alsace, Franche-Comté, Rhône-Alpes). The second group included regions where daily consumption was frequent and rather high in quantity (Limousin, Auvergne, Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon). The third group included regions where daily intake and drunkenness were exceptional. These results were compared with external data: household data, alcohol-related mortality data, medical consultation data. In some regions in southwestern France or northern France, results showed a poor fit between economic and social data.

Conclusion: Measuring the quality of declarative data on alcohol consumption is essential for public health decision-makers. Comparing economic and sanitary data remains a difficult task. Differences related to the source of the data lead to very different concepts of the problem, requiring in-depth knowledge and new hypotheses to correctly interpret such differences. Further work is needed to better ascertain the different aspects of the problem of alcohol consumption in France. For example, general population surveys might include more precise questions for identifying excessive drinkers or questions on economic data related to alcohol (e.g. purchasing practices).