Objective:
To assess changes in the prevalence of alcohol use among US adults from 2022 to 2024 using National Health Interview Survey data.
Approach:
- Study Design: A serial cross-sectional study using National Health Interview Survey data from 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
- Sample Size: Included 114,352 respondents: 24,965 in 2018, 30,829 in 2020, 26,806 in 2022, and 31,752 in 2024.
- Definitions: Heavy drinking defined as at least 5 drinks on any day or at least 15 drinks per week for men, and at least 4 drinks on any day or at least 8 drinks per week for women.
Key Findings:
- National prevalence of any alcohol use decreased by 1.24 percentage points from 2022 to 2024.
- Heavy alcohol use decreased by 0.52 percentage points during the same period.
- Any alcohol use declined by 3.96 percentage points among adults born from 1997 to 2012.
- Heavy alcohol use declined by 1.67 percentage points among adults aged 30 to 49 years.
- Increases in alcohol use were observed among those aged 50 to 64 years and Hispanic adults.
Interpretation:
Despite declines from 2022, alcohol use remained at or above prepandemic levels in 2024.
Limitations:
- Alcohol consumption was self-reported and may have been underestimated.
- Smaller samples reduced the precision of estimates for some racial and urban subgroups.
- The survey included only nonmilitary, noninstitutionalized adults, potentially limiting representativeness.
Conclusion:
The findings indicate a national shift toward lower reported alcohol use since 2022.
Sources:
This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.
