Table 1.

Sample characteristics, compared with characteristics of weekly drinkers aged 18–64 in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS)

	Study sample (n=2174)	NDSHS 2013 (n=8165)
	%	%
NHMRC risk status
Low risk of harm in the short term and long term	51	47
High risk of short-term harm, low risk of long-term harm	18	17
Low risk of short-term harm, high risk of long-term harm	3	4
High risk of harm in the short term and long term	28	33
Perceived risk status
Low risk	59	n/a
At risk	41	n/a
Sex (% male)	48	58
Age
18–29 years	54	22
30–64 years	46	78
Location (% metropolitan)	68	70
Socioeconomic status*
Low (0–40%)	30	30
Middle (41–80%)	44	44
High (81–100%)	25	26
Completed tertiary education† (% yes)	70	72
Parent/carer of child of any age‡ (% yes)	43	46
	M (SD)	M (SD)
Age	35.5 (14.5)	42.0 (12.7)
Past 7 day alcohol consumption (standard drinks)	12.6 (15.4)	n/a
Alcohol identity (5-point scale: 1 weak alcohol identity—5 strong alcohol identity)	2.7 (1.2)	n/a

*n=18 missing in current study.

†n=288 missing in AIHW NDSHS.

‡n=631 missing in AIHW NDSHS.

AIHW, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; NDSHS, National Drug Strategy Household Survey; NHMRC, National Health and Medical Research Council.