Background: Adopting healthy behaviours may facilitate the transition from hazardous to non-hazardous use of alcohol, yet, longitudinal studies of health behaviours in relation to the cessation of hazardous alcohol use are rare. We addressed this question using data from a large population-based cohort of adults in Sweden (Stockholm Public Health Cohort).
Methods: Participants from two sub-cohorts (inception in 2002 and 2010), with follow-up until the year 2014 were included. Health behaviours (tobacco use, diet and physical activity) and alcohol use were self-reported in questionnaire-based surveys. Hazardous alcohol use was defined as either usual weekly consumption (2002 sub-cohort) or heavy occasional alcohol consumption (2010 sub-cohort). Baseline hazardous drinkers with complete data constituted the analytical sample (n = 8946). Logistic regression was used to calculate the Odds Ratios and their 95% confidence intervals of quitting hazardous alcohol use, with tobacco use, diet and physical activity as predictors of change.
Results: In the 2002 sub-cohort, 28% reported non-hazardous use sustained through two consecutive follow-up points. In the 2010 sub-cohort, 36% of the participants reported non-hazardous use of alcohol at follow-up. Favourable health behaviours at baseline (e.g. no tobacco use, sufficient fruit intake and physical activity) were associated with a 19% to 75% higher of odds quitting hazardous alcohol use. Further, favourable changes in diet and tobacco cessation were associated with non-hazardous alcohol use at follow-up.
Conclusions: As many as one-third of hazardous alcohol users may quit this drinking pattern in a medium-long term. Holding or achieving a healthy lifestyle may facilitate this transition.