Table 1.
Distribution of demographics, lifestyle, biomarkers and alcohol drinking patterns across different amounts of average weekly alcohol consumption
| Categories | Low risk N = 147,769 (47.8%) |
Increasing risk N = 133,910 (43.3%) |
Higher risk N = 27,444 (8.9%) |
Total sample N = 309,123 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years (mean); missing values = 0 | 56.4 | 55.9 | 55.3 | 56.1 | |
| Sex; missing values = 0 | Females | 101,067 (65.3%) | 46,463 (30%) | 7152 (4.6%) | 154,682 (100%) |
| Males | 46,702 (30.3%) | 87,447 (56.6%) | 20,292 (13.1%) | 154,441 (100%) | |
| Smoking status; missing values = 974 (0.3%) | Never | 92,419 (56.9%) | 61,711 (38%) | 8310 (5.1%) | 162,440 (100%) |
| Previous | 45,560 (39.9%) | 56,100 (49.2%) | 12,508 (10.9%) | 114,168 (100%) | |
| Current | 9314 (29.5%) | 15,680 (49.7%) | 6547 (20.8%) | 31,541 (100%) | |
| Townsend score quintiles; missing values = 360 (0.1%) | 0–20 (most affluent) | 34,658 (50.9%) | 28,908 (42.4%) | 4559 (6.7%) | 68,125 (100%) |
| 80–100 (most deprived) | 21,586 (42.3%) | 22,727 (44.5%) | 6734 (13.2%) | 51,047 (100%) | |
| Number of LTCs; missing values = 5 (< 0.1%) | 0 | 54,566 (48.5%) | 50,048 (44.2%) | 8635 (7.6%) | 113,249 (100%) |
| 4 or more | 7581 (48.6%) | 6217 (39.8%) | 1818 (11.6%) | 15,616 (100%) | |
| Body mass index (mean); missing values = 1237 (0.4%) | 26.6 | 27.2 | 27.9 | 27 | |
| C-reactive protein (mean); missing values = 19,688 (6.3%) | 2.31 | 2.30 | 2.76 | 2.34 | |
| Gamma glutamyl transferase (mean); missing values = 19,260 (6.2%) | 31.4 | 40.4 | 65 | 38.3 | |
| Physical activity levels; missing values = 2987 (1%) | High | 15,234 (40.4%) | 19,298 (51.2%) | 3169 (8.4%) | 37,701 (100%) |
| None | 6629 (46.%) | 5470 (38.3%) | 2170 (15.2%) | 14,269 (100%) | |
| Systolic blood pressure; missing values = 9644 (3.1%) | < 120 | 26,476 (60%) | 15,653 (35.5%) | 1977 (4.5%) | 44,106 (100%) |
| 120–139 | 59,707 (48.8%) | 53,514 (43.7%) | 9174 (7.5%) | 122,395 (100%) | |
| 140–159 | 40,862 (43.4%) | 43,191 (45.8%) | 10,174 (10.8%) | 94,227 (100%) | |
| > 160 | 16,130 (41.6%) | 17,421 (44.9%) | 5200 (13.5%) | 38,751 (100%) | |
| Total cholesterol; missing values = 19,107 (6.1%) | < 5.0 | 29,579 (47.8%) | 27,480 (44.3%) | 4912 (7.9%) | 61,971 (100%) |
| 5.0 or more | 108,927 (47.8%) | 98,334 (43.1%) | 20,784 (9.1%) | 228,045 (100%) | |
| Self-rated health; missing values = 907 (0.3%) | Excellent | 29,554 (50.1%) | 25,731 (43.6%) | 3702 (6.3%) | 58,987 (100%) |
| Poor | 3083 (41%) | 3035 (40.4%) | 1398 (18.6%) | 7516 (100%) | |
| Alcohol consumed with food; missing values = 0 | Yes | 78,466 (58.8%) | 49,946 (37.4%) | 5142 (3.8%) | 133,554 (100%) |
| No | 23,823 (37.5%) | 29,576 (46.6%) | 10,119 (15.9%) | 63,518 (100%) | |
| Mixed | 45,490 (40.6%) | 54,397 (48.5%) | 12,185 (10.9%) | 112,072 (100%) | |
| Type of alcohol consumed; missing values = 0 | Red wine | 43,487 (53.9%) | 32,842 (40.7%) | 4333 (5.4%) | 80,662 (100%) |
| Beer or cider | 24,682 (27.7%) | 49,247 (55.2%) | 15,218 (17.1%) | 89,147 (100%) | |
| White/sparkling wine | 32,407 (59.6%) | 18,759 (34.5%) | 3192 (5.9%) | 54,358 (100%) | |
| Spirits | 10,241 (62.5%) | 5071 (30.9%) | 1085 (6.6%) | 16,397 (100%) | |
| Others/mixed | 36,962 (53.9%) | 28,000 (40.8%) | 3618 (5.3%) | 68,580 (100%) | |
| Frequency of alcohol consumption; missing values = 0 | 3–4 times a week | 43,158 (41.6%) | 54,576 (52.6%) | 5991 (5.8%) | 103,725 (100%) |
| 1–2 times a week | 89,173 (77.4%) | 25,349 (22%) | 755 (0.6%) | 115,277 (100%) | |
| Daily or almost daily | 15,448 (17.1%) | 53,994 (59.9%) | 20,700 (23%) | 90,142 (100%) | |
Legend: Townsend score is a measure of socio-economic status based on participant’s home postcode. LTCs = long-term conditions. Low risk: 1–14 average weekly alcohol units; increasing risk: 15–35 (females) and 15–50 (males) average weekly alcohol units; higher risk: > 35 (females) and > 50 (males) average weekly alcohol unit