The descriptive analyses of the main variables of interest by alcohol consumption at baseline are shown in Table 1. Women report much lower alcohol consumption than men (3.14 versus 5.68 glasses/week on average, respectively). Alcohol consumption is higher among older age groups (with the exception of those over 70), and individuals under 40 report the lowest consumption. The lower educated report the lowest drinking levels, whereas the higher educated report the highest (3.88 and 4.55 glasses/week respectively). As for employment status, the retired report the highest drinking (4.34), followed by the employed (4.26) and the unemployed and the disabled (3.67 and 3.05 respectively). Finally, those living alone, as well as those reporting higher levels of social isolation report lower alcohol consumption (3.77 and 4.06 respectively, compared to 4.18 and 4.14 among their counterparts).Table 1Main variables of interest by alcohol consumption at baseline (n = 45,384).Table 1N (%)Glasses/week (mean)GenderMale17,658 (38.91%)5.68Female27,726 (61.09%)3.14Age group< 405037 (11.10%)3.6941–507873 (17.35%)3.8551–6016,149 (35.58%)4.1161–7010,292 (22.68%)4.64> 706033 (13.29%)4.02Educational AttainmentLow12,077 (27.24%)3.88Middle16,881 (38.08%)3.94High15,376 (34.68%)4.55Employment StatusEmployed27,057 (59.63%)4.26Retired12,038 (26.53%)4.34Unemployed1440 (3.17%)3.67Disabled1098 (2.42%)3.05Other3743 (8.25%)2.99Living arrangementLiving with others39,100 (86.17%)4.18Living alone6274 (13.83%)3.77Social IsolationLow isolation (score <7)35,967 (81.59%)4.14High isolation (score ≥7)8114 (18.41%)4.06
