Variations and stability in drinking patterns in a cohort of Swedish males

Objective: Information on drinking patterns may make an important contribution to our understanding of the risks and consequences of alcohol consumption. The objective of the present study is to describe variations and stability of patterns of alcohol use at both the aggregate and the individual levels. Methods. The reported alcohol consumption was recorded of a normal, representative birth cohort of Swedish male (n = 122) subjects followed from the age of 18 years to early middle age and more extensively scrutinized at the age of 36, using a 28 day time-line follow-back technique. Results: In young middle age a high proportion of total consumption occurred on Fridays and Saturdays (about 60%). In addition, it was possible to classify "standard drinkers", "sporadic binge drinkers", and "frequent drinkers" as separate clusters. Conclusion: While binge drinking was more stable than frequency of drinking from the age of 18 to the age of 36, Frequent drinking showed the highest short-term stability at the age of 36 years.