. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Jun 1.

Published in final edited form as: Am J Psychiatry. 2021 Jan 21;178(6):548–559. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20050610

Table 5:

Association of WHO risk drinking level with health conditions, by gender

2001–2002 (NESARC)
	Men (n=12,886)				Women (n=13,769)				Difference in prevalence differences, men vs. women^c
	Prevalence ^a of condition		Prevalence difference^b		Prevalence ^a of condition		Prevalence difference^b		Difference in prevalence differences, men vs. women^c
	%	SE	%	95% CI	%	SE	%	95% CI	%	95% CI

*Alcohol dependence*
Very high risk	45.7	2.91	42.0	36.32, 47.68	39.4	3.66	37.3	30.15, 44.45	4.7	−3.79, 13.29
High risk	27.6	2.64	23.9	18.73, 29.07	20.6	3.64	18.5	11.37, 25.63	5.4	−3.38, 14.18
Moderate risk	16.1	1.68	12.4	9.09, 15.71	14.1	1.37	12.0	9.31, 14.69	0.4	−3.97, 4.77
Low risk	3.7	0.20	reference		2.1	0.17	reference

*Alcohol use disorder*^d
Very high risk	60.7	3.09	48.8	42.72, 54.88	52.2	4.54	46.7	37.80, 55.60	2.1	−8.15, 12.35
High risk	48.0	2.91	36.1	30.36, 41.84	31.9	3.76	26.4	18.97, 33.83	9.8	0.24, 19.36
Moderate risk	39.1	2.33	27.2	22.63, 31.77	26.9	1.70	21.3	18.05, 24.55	5.9	0.53, 11.27
Low risk	11.9	0.38	reference		5.6	0.27	reference

*Any drug dependence*^e
Very high risk	5.5	1.18	4.8	2.49, 7.11	5.7	1.47	5.3	2.42, 8.18	−0.5	−3.99, 2.99
High risk	1.7	0.61	1.0	−0.22, 2.22	0.3	0.19	−0.2	0.61, 0.21	1.1	−0.19, 2.39
Moderate risk	1.4	0.46	0.8	−0.10, 1.70	0.9	0.34	0.5	−0.21, 1.21	0.3	−0.84, 1.44
Low risk	0.7	0.11	reference		0.4	0.07	reference

*Any drug use disorder*^d,e
Very high risk	12.1	1.68	9.7	6.39, 13.01	13.7	2.39	12.3	7.60, 17.00	−2.6	−8.24, 3.04
High risk	7.2	1.43	4.8	2.04, 7.56	3.3	1.20	1.9	−0.45, 4.25	2.9	−0.88, 6.68
Moderate risk	5.1	0.95	2.7	0.84, 4.56	4.2	0.98	2.8	0.86, 4.74	−0.2	−2.65, 2.25
Low risk	2.4	0.18	reference		1.4	0.13	reference

*SF-12 functional impairment*
Very high risk	15.8	2.22	9.5	5.11, 13.89	25.9	3.38	14.1	7.38, 20.82	−4.6	−12.05, 2.85
High risk	8.5	1.44	2.2	−0.60, 5.00	16.7	3.21	4.9	−1.45, 11.25	−2.7	−9.64, 4.24
Moderate risk	8.0	1.17	1.6	−0.79, 3.99	15.3	1.73	3.5	0.13, 6.87	−1.9	−6.00, 2.20
Low risk	6.4	0.25	reference		11.8	0.37	reference

*Any depressive/anxiety disorder*^f
Very high risk	18.4	2.07	7.3	3.20, 11.40	30.5	3.71	7.8	0.49, 15.11	−0.5	−8.77, 7.77
High risk	13.6	1.79	2.5	−1.03, 6.03	27.0	3.82	4.3	−3.21, 11.81	−1.8	−10.07, 6.47
Moderate risk	11.2	1.39	0.0	−2.70, 2.70	24.6	1.97	1.9	−2.02, 5.82	−1.9	−6.49, 2.69
Low risk	11.1	0.37	reference		22.7	0.56	reference

*Any depressive/anxiety disorder*^f, no substance or illness induced
Very high risk	16.8	2.03	6.1	2.10, 10.10	29.5	3.64	7.6	0.43, 14.77	−1.5	−9.61, 6.61
High risk	13.0	1.73	2.3	−1.11, 5.71	26.0	3.74	4.1	−3.25, 11.45	−1.8	−9.97, 6.37
Moderate risk	11.0	1.38	0.4	−2.29, 3.09	23.8	1.96	2.0	−1.88, 5.88	−1.6	−6.09, 2.89
Low risk	10.7	0.37	reference		21.9	0.55	reference
2012–2013 (NESARC-III)
	Men (n=11,936)				Women (n=13,724)				Difference in prevalence differences, men vs. women^c
	Prevalence ^a of condition		Prevalence difference^b		Prevalence ^a of condition		Prevalence difference^b		Difference in prevalence differences, men vs. women^c
	%	SE	%	95% CI	%	SE	%	95% CI	%	95% CI

*Alcohol dependence*
Very high risk	55.1	3.17	49.7	43.47, 55.93	54.3	3.18	49.9	43.73, 56.07	−0.2	−8.16, 7.76
High risk	40.7	2.78	35.4	29.95, 40.85	32.8	3.39	28.4	21.76, 35.04	7.0	−0.72, 14.72
Moderate risk	30.2	2.28	24.9	20.41, 29.39	19.8	1.57	15.4	12.30, 18.50	9.5	4.21, 14.79
Low risk	5.3	0.27	reference		4.4	0.25	reference

*Alcohol use disorder^d*
Very high risk	73.7	2.86	58.2	52.57, 63.83	66.9	3.16	57.6	51.33, 63.87	0.6	−7.19, 8.30
High risk	59.6	2.63	44.0	38.65, 49.35	48.7	3.70	39.4	32.03, 46.77	4.7	−3.65, 13.05
Moderate risk	49.1	2.28	33.5	28.84, 38.16	35.2	1.65	25.9	22.47, 29.33	7.6	1.82, 13.38
Low risk	15.5	0.38	reference		9.3	0.35	reference

*Any drug dependence*^e
Very high risk	7.7	1.12	6.0	3.86, 8.14	7.8	1.35	6.2	3.57, 8.83	−0.3	−3.22, 2.62
High risk	5.2	1.21	3.4	1.01, 5.79	3.3	0.91	1.8	−0.00, 3.60	1.7	−1.20, 4.60
Moderate risk	3.4	0.65	1.7	0.35, 3.05	2.2	0.49	0.6	−0.36, 1.56	1.0	−0.80, 2.80
Low risk	1.7	0.18	reference		1.5	0.16	reference

*Any drug use disorder*^d,e
Very high risk	16.0	2.08	10.8	6.74, 14.86	19.0	2.13	15.8	11.64, 19.96	−5.0	−10.29, 0.29
High risk	12.9	1.78	7.7	4.13, 11.27	9.4	1.65	6.2	3.01, 9.39	1.5	−3.24, 6.24
Moderate risk	9.3	1.15	4.1	1.75, 6.45	6.3	0.80	3.2	1.75, 4.65	0.9	−1.90, 3.70
Low risk	5.2	0.27	reference		3.2	0.21	reference

*SF-12 functional impairment*
Very high risk	15.7	1.78	5.6	1.99, 9.21	36.3	2.91	19.3	13.42, 25.18	−13.6	−20.26, −6.94
High risk	13.1	1.58	3.0	−0.19, 6.19	19.8	2.83	2.8	−2.88, 8.48	0.2	−6.39, 6.79
Moderate risk	10.5	1.38	0.4	−2.44, 3.24	17.5	1.50	0.5	−2.54, 3.54	−0.1	−4.37, 4.17
Low risk	10.1	0.43	reference		17.0	0.48	reference

*Any depressive/anxiety disorder*^f
Very high risk	18.4	2.07	2.4	−1.28, 6.08	43.3	3.15	13.0	6.57, 19.43	−10.6	−17.81, −3.39
High risk	18.9	1.69	3.1	−0.41, 6.61	30.5	3.12	0.2	−5.92, 6.32	2.9	−3.80, 9.60
Moderate risk	17.5	1.71	1.7	1.79, 5.19	28.1	1.80	−2.2	−5.87, 1.47	3.9	−1.20, 9.00
Low risk	15.8	0.50	reference		30.3	0.66	reference

*Any depressive/anxiety disorder*^f, no substance or illness induced
Very high risk	17.6	1.77	2.7	−0.83, 6.23	41.7	3.14	12.6	6.41, 18.79	−9.9	−17.09, −2.71
High risk	18.0	1.66	3.2	−0.19, 6.59	29.1	3.09	0.1	−6.05, 6.25	3.1	−3.64, 9.84
Moderate risk	16.3	1.66	1.5	1.85, 4.85	27.0	1.77	−2.1	−5.71, 1.51	3.5	−1.42, 8.42
Low risk	14.9	0.46	reference		29.1	0.67	reference

adjusted for sample weights and sociodemographic covariates (gender, age, education, race/ethnicity, health insurance, and current smoking)

Prevalence in each risk level minus prevalence in the reference risk level (low) indicates the association. Prevalence differences whose 95% CI do not include 0 are statistically significant at p<.05 and are bolded.

Prevalence difference in men minus prevalence difference in women indicates the differential association by gender. Differences whose 95% CI do not include 0 are statistically significant at p<.05 and are bolded.

abuse or dependence

for marijuana, cocaine, heroin, painkillers (prescription opioids), sedative/tranquilizers, hallucinogens, stimulants, inhalants, and club drugs

includes anxiety (panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia/social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, generalized anxiety disorder) and depression (dysthymia/persistent depressive disorder, major depression), DSM-IV for 2001–2002, DSM-5 for 2012–2013

Liver disease excluded from this table due to low prevalence in women

Note that the prevalence, prevalence differences, and trends differences are rounded, such that subtracting the values may not yield the exact difference reported.