Changes in Alcoholic Beverage Choice and Risky Drinking among Adolescents in Europe 1999–2019

This paper explores trends in beverage preference in adolescents, identifies related regional differences, and examines cluster differences in key drinking measures. Data were obtained from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), covering 24 European countries between 1999 and 2019. Trends in the distribution of alcoholic beverages on the participants’ most recent drinking occasion were analysed by sex and country using fractional multinomial logit regression. Clusters of countries based on trends and predicted beverage proportions were compared regarding the prevalence of drinkers, mean alcohol volume and prevalence of heavy drinking. Four distinct clusters each among girls and boys emerged. Among girls, there was not one type of beverage that was preferred across clusters, but the proportion of cider/alcopops strongly increased over time in most clusters. Among boys, the proportion of beer decreased, but was dominant across time in all clusters. Only northern European countries formed a geographically defined region with the highest prevalence of heavy drinking and average alcohol volume in both genders. Adolescent beverage preferences are associated with mean alcohol volume and heavy drinking at a country-level. Future approaches to drinking cultures need to take subpopulations such as adolescents into account

Multidimensionale adaptive Kompetenzdiagnostik: Ergebnisse zur Messeffizienz. Projekt MAT

Das Projekt „Multidimensionale adaptive Kompetenzdiagnostik“ im Rahmen des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms 1293 beschäftigt sich mit Grundlagenforschung zur vor kurzem entwickelten mehrdimensionalen Erweiterung des ursprünglich eindimensionalen Konzepts adaptiven Testens. Es werden zunächst die Grundlagen des multidimensionalen adaptiven Testens (MAT) skizziert und danach Fragestellungen, Methode und Befunde einer Simulationsstudie zur Steigerung der Messeffizienz durch MAT dargestellt. Der Beitrag schließt mit einer Zusammenstellung offener Forschungsfragen im Bereich MAT und diskutiert die praktische Anwendbarkeit dieser Art des Testens bei der Überprüfung von Bildungsstandards. (DIPF/Orig.

The Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Illegal Drugs and Medicines : An Estimate of Consumption and Substance-Related Disorders in Germany

Background: Prevalence estimates of the use of tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, and psychoactive medications and of substance-related disorders enable an assessment of the effects of substance use on health and society.Methods: The data used for this study were derived from the 2018 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (Epidemiologischer Suchtsurvey, ESA). The sample of the German adult population comprised 9267 persons aged 18 to 64 (response rate, 42%). Population estimates were obtained by extrapolation to a total resident population of 51 544 494 people.Results: In the 30 days prior to the survey, 71.6% of the respondents (corresponding to 36.9 million persons in the population) had consumed alcohol, and 28.0% (14.4 million) had consumed tobacco. 4.0% reported having used e-cigarettes, and 0.8% reported having used heat-not-burn products. Among illegal drugs, cannabis was the most commonly used, with a 12-month prevalence of 7.1% (3.7 million), followed by amphetamines (1.2%: 619 000). The prevalence of the use of analgesics without a prescription (31.4%) was markedly higher than that of the use of prescribed analgesics (17.5%, 26.0 million); however, analgesics were taken daily less commonly than other types of medication. 13.5% of the sample (7.0 million) had at least one dependence diagnosis (12-month prevalence).Conclusion: Substance use and the consumption of psychoactive medications are widespread in the German population. Substance-related disorders are a major burden to society, with legal substances causing greater burden than illegal substances.Gebrauch von Alkohol, Tabak, illegalen Drogen und Medikamenten: Schätzungen zu Konsum und substanzbezogenen Störungen in DeutschlandHintergrund: Schätzungen des Gebrauchs von Tabak, Alkohol, illegalen Drogen und psychoaktiven Medikamenten sowie von substanzbezogenen Störungen ermöglichen es, soziale und gesundheitliche Folgen des Substanzkonsums beurteilen zu können.Methode: Datengrundlage ist der Epidemiologische Suchtsurvey (ESA) 2018. Die Stichprobe aus der deutschen Erwachsenenbevölkerung umfasste n = 9 267 Personen im Alter von 18 bis 64 Jahren (Antwortrate 42 %). Die Prävalenzschätzungen wurden ausgehend von 51 544 494 Personen auf die Wohnbevölkerung hochgerechnet.Ergebnisse: In den letzten 30 Tagen vor der Befragung hatten 71,6 % der Befragten (36,9 Millionen [Mio.]) Alkohol und 28,0 % (14,4 Mio.) Tabak konsumiert. Den Gebrauch von E-Zigaretten berichteten 4,0 % und 0,8 % nutzten „heat-not-burn“-Produkte. Unter den illegalen Drogen wurde Cannabis (12-Monats-Prävalenz) mit 7,1 % (3,7 Mio. Personen) am häufigsten konsumiert, gefolgt von Amphetaminen (1,2 %; 619 000). Die Gebrauchsprävalenz nichtverordneter Analgetika (31,4 %) war deutlich höher als die vom Arzt verordneter Analgetika (17,5 %, gesamt 26,0 Mio.), sie wurden im Vergleich zu anderen Medikamenten jedoch seltener täglich genutzt. Mindestens eine Abhängigkeitsdiagnose (12-Monats-Prävalenz) wiesen 13,5 % der Stichprobe auf (7,0 Mio.).Schlussfolgerung: Substanzkonsum und der Gebrauch von psychoaktiven Medikamenten sind in der deutschen Allgemeinbevölkerung weit verbreitet. Substanzbezogene Störungen stellen eine erhebliche Belastung für die Gesellschaft dar, wobei die Belastung durch den Konsum legaler Substanzen die Belastung durch illegale Substanzen übersteigt

Quantifying harms to others due to alcohol consumption in Germany : a register-based study

Background: The consumption of alcohol increases the risk of drinkers harming others. The extent of alcohol's morbidity and mortality harms to others in Germany in 2014 was estimated for (1) fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) among newborns, (2) road traffic fatalities, and (3) interpersonal violence-related deaths. Methods: The incidences of FAS and FASD were estimated by means of a meta-analytical approach, combining data on alcohol use during pregnancy and the risk relationship between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and FAS/FASD. In order to estimate alcohol-attributable road traffic fatalities and interpersonal violence due to the drinking of others, an attributable fraction methodology was applied to cause-of-death statistics for road traffic and interpersonal violence-related deaths. Results: For 2014, the incidences of FAS and FASD were estimated at 41 children per 10,000 live births (95% CI 24; 63) and 177 children per 10,000 live births (95% CI 135; 320), or 2930 (95% CI 1720; 4500) and 12,650 (95% CI 9650; 23,310) children, respectively. Furthermore, alcohol was estimated to be responsible for 1214 (95% CI 1141; 1287) third-party road traffic fatalities and 55 (95% CI 46; 64) deaths from interpersonal violence, representing 45.1% of all third-party road traffic fatalities and 14.9% of all interpersonal violence deaths. Conclusion: These study's estimates indicate there is a substantial degree of health harm to third parties caused by alcohol in Germany. While more research on harms to others caused by alcohol is needed to provide comprehensive estimates, the results indicate a need for effective prevention

Estimation of the Number of People With Opioid Addiction in Germany

Background: Opioid addiction is one of the most common substance-related disorders worldwide, and morbidity and mortality due to opioid addiction place a heavy burden on society. Knowing the size of the population that is addicted to opioids is a prerequisite for the development and implementation of appropriate health-policy measures.Methods: Our estimate for Germany for 2016 is based on an enumeration of opioid-addicted persons who were entered in a registry of persons receiving substitution therapy, an enumeration of persons receiving outpatient and inpatient care for addiction without substitution therapy, an extrapolation to all addiction care facilities, and an estimation of the number of opioid-addicted persons who were not accounted for either in the substitution registry or in addiction care.Results: The overall estimate of the number of opioid-addicted persons in Germany in 2016 was 166 294 persons (lower and upper bounds: 164 794 and 167 794), including 123 988 men (122 968 to 125 007) and 42 307 women (41 826 to 42 787). The estimates for each German federal state per 1000 inhabitants ranged from 0.1 in Brandenburg to 3.0 in North Rhine-Westphalia and 5.5 in Bremen. The average value across Germany was 3.1 per 1000 inhabitants.Conclusion: Comparisons with earlier estimates suggest that the number of persons addicted to opioids in Germany has hardly changed over the past 20 years. Despite methodological limitations, this estimate can be considered highly valid. Nearly all persons who are addicted to opioids are in contact with the addiction care system.Schätzung der Anzahl von Personen mit einer Opioidabhängigkeit Hintergrund: Die Abhängigkeit von Opioiden zählt weltweit zu den häufigsten substanzbezogenen Störungen und verursacht eine erhebliche gesellschaftliche Belastung durch Morbidität und Mortalität. Den Umfang der opioidabhängigen Population zu kennen, ist eine Voraussetzung für gesundheitspolitische Maßnahmen.Methode: Die Schätzung für das Jahr 2016 basiert auf einer Zählung von Personen in Deutschland mit einer Opioidabhängigkeit, die im Substitutionsregister gemeldet waren, einer Zählung der in der ambulanten und stationären Suchthilfe gemeldeten Personen ohne Substitutionsbehandlung und einer Hochrechnung auf alle Einrichtungen sowie einer Schätzung der Anzahl von Personen mit einer Opioidabhängigkeit, die weder im Substitutionsregister noch in der Suchthilfe erfasst waren.Ergebnisse: Für Deutschland ergibt sich eine Gesamtschätzung von 166 294 Personen (untere und obere Grenzen: 164 794; 167 794) mit einer Opioidabhängigkeit, wobei 123 988 Männer (122 968; 125 007) und 42 307 Frauen (41 826; 42 787) betroffen sind. Die Schätzungen für die Bundesländer pro 1 000 Einwohner schwanken zwischen 0,1 in Brandenburg, 3,0 in Nordrhein-Westfalen bis 5,5 Bremen. Der deutschlandweite Durchschnittswert beträgt 3,1/1000 Einwohner.Schlussfolgerungen: Vergleiche mit früheren Schätzungen legen den Schluss nahe, dass sich der Umfang der Personen mit einer Opioidabhängigkeit in Deutschland in den letzten 20 Jahren kaum verändert hat. Trotz methodischer Einschränkungen ist von einer hohen Validität der Schätzung auszugehen. Nahezu alle Personen mit einer Opioidabhängigkeit sind in Kontakt mit dem Suchthilfesystem

Do smoking, nutrition, alcohol use, and physical activity vary between regions in Germany? - results of a cross-sectional study

Background Previous studies on lifestyle risk factors mainly focused on age- or gender-specific differences. However, lifestyle risk factors also vary across regions. Aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which prevalence rates of SNAP (smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption, physical activity) vary between East and West Germany or North and South Germany. Methods Data came from the population-representative 2015 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA) comprising 9204 subjects aged 18 to 64 years. To assess an east-west or south-north gradient, two binary logistic regression models were carried out for each SNAP factor. Results The logistic regression models revealed statistically significant differences with higher rates of at-risk alcohol consumption and lower rates of unhealthy nutrition in East Germany compared to West Germany. Significant differences between North and South Germany were found for at-risk alcohol consumption with higher rates of at-risk alcohol consumption in South Germany. Daily smoking and low physical activity were equally distributed across regions. Conclusions The implementation of measures reducing at-risk alcohol consumption in Germany should take the identified east-west and south-north gradient into account. Since the prevalence of unhealthy nutrition was generally high, prevention and intervention measures should focus on Germany as a whole instead of specific regions

Changes in Alcoholic Beverage Choice and Risky Drinking among Adolescents in Europe 1999–2019

This paper explores trends in beverage preference in adolescents, identifies related regional differences, and examines cluster differences in key drinking measures. Data were obtained from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), covering 24 European countries between 1999 and 2019. Trends in the distribution of alcoholic beverages on the participants’ most recent drinking occasion were analysed by sex and country using fractional multinomial logit regression. Clusters of countries based on trends and predicted beverage proportions were compared regarding the prevalence of drinkers, mean alcohol volume and prevalence of heavy drinking. Four distinct clusters each among girls and boys emerged. Among girls, there was not one type of beverage that was preferred across clusters, but the proportion of cider/alcopops strongly increased over time in most clusters. Among boys, the proportion of beer decreased, but was dominant across time in all clusters. Only northern European countries formed a geographically defined region with the highest prevalence of heavy drinking and average alcohol volume in both genders. Adolescent beverage preferences are associated with mean alcohol volume and heavy drinking at a country-level. Future approaches to drinking cultures need to take subpopulations such as adolescents into account