Risky alcohol consumption among women in Australia attending breast screening services: an exploratory cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background and aims: Alcohol is a major modifiable risk factor for female breast cancer, with breast cancer risk now associated with substantially lower consumption levels than those previously deemed safe. This study sought to measure risky drinking among women attending breast screening services in Australia according to new national alcohol guidelines and to compare daily, weekly and recent (past 12 months) consumption to Australian gender and age population norms.

Design, setting and participants: This study was a retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data from the Lifepool Project (collected October 2011-January 2016) in Victoria, Australia, comprising a convenience sample of women attending breast screening services aged 40+ years.

Measurements: Typical and heavy alcohol consumption patterns over the previous 12 months (frequency, quantity), socio-demographic (e.g. age, education) and health-related (e.g. menopause status, breast cancer history) characteristics. Primary outcomes were the proportion of women drinking at a level exceeding new guidelines for weekly and daily alcohol consumption.

Findings: Of 49 240 women, mean age was 59.94 years (standard deviation = 7.14, range = 40-94 years). Most women had consumed alcohol during the past 12 months [41 628, 85.48%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 85.16, 85.79]. One in five women (8464, 18.34%, 95% CI = 17.99, 18.69) were drinking at a level exceeding new national guidelines for weekly consumption (i.e. greater than 10 standard drinks per week), and one in six (7446, 15.60%, 95% CI = 15.28, 15.93) were exceeding new guidelines for consumption on a single day (i.e. greater than four standard drinks on any 1 day, more than once per month). The proportion of women in this sample drinking daily (4.21-11.19%), weekly (34.73-50.71%) and in the past 12 months (74.96-90.81%) was significantly greater among nearly all age groups (by decade), compared with Australian gender and age norms [drinking daily (3.4-9.1%), weekly (27.1-37.6%) and in the past 12 months (64.4-81.9%)].

Conclusions: There appears to be a high prevalence of risky alcohol consumption among a large convenience sample of breast screening service clients in Australia using new national alcohol guidelines introduced in December 2020.

Keywords: Alcohol; alcohol consumption; alcohol guidelines; breast cancer; breast screening; women.