Are women heavier drinkers than we thought they were?

Abstract

Objective: This study intended (1) to examine whether men are more likely to experience "male-type" problems related to drinking and women are more likely to encounter "female-type" problems and (2) to discover whether male or female collegians have higher blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at a typical drinking session.

Method: A questionnaire was administered to students enrolled in introductory courses in departments of social sciences at two state universities, situated in the Midwest and the South, in the spring term of 1994. Of the 2,056 students who constituted the sample of the present study, about 54% were women and 92.6% were white. The subject collegians' BACs during drinking episodes were indirectly estimated by three variables-quantity of alcohol consumed, individual body weight and duration of drinking session.

Results: The data indicate that men achieve a higher BAC than do females while drinking. When the incidence of various alcohol-related problems (both gender-biased and gender-neutral problems) was measured, it was found that, after drinking levels are controlled, gender becomes a significant factor in whether some alcohol-related problems will occur.

Conclusions: Findings indicate that gender socialization may partly explain gender differences in the alcohol-related problems reported.