Women's gender role orientation predicts their drinking patterns: a follow-up study of Czech women

• Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) Vol. 103; no. 6; pp. 929 - 937
• Main Authors: KUBICKA, Ludek, CSEMY, Ladislav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2008; Blackwell
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol use; Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Czech Republic; Czech Republic - epidemiology; Drinking Behavior; Drinking patterns; Drug addiction; Egalitarianism; Female; Females; Feminism; Feminist Theory; Follow-Up Studies; Gender Identity; gender role orientation; Gender roles; Hedonism; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Philosophy; Politics; Predictive Value of Tests; Problem drinking; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Sex Role Orientations; Sex roles; Surveys and Questionnaires; Toxicology; Women; Women's health; Womens health; Czech Republic; Europe; Prague Czech Republic; Human; Drug addiction; Sex role; Psychology; drinking patterns; Prediction; Drinking; Orientation; gender role orientation; Czech Republic; Addiction; Follow up study; Adult; Female; Czech; Predictive factor; Woman; Psychiatry; women
• ISSN: 0965-2140; 1360-0443
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02186.x

ABSTRACT Aims  Evaluation of the hypothesis that women's non‐traditional gender role orientation contributes to drinking patterns typical for men. Design  A two‐wave prospective study with data collected in 1992 and 1997. Setting  The data reflect Czech women's changing gender role orientation and their drinking patterns during a historical period of post‐totalitarian societal transformation. Participants  A representative cohort of 497 Prague women aged 30–59 years in 1997. Measurements  Face‐to‐face interview data on drinking patterns and individually collected original questionnaire on gender role orientation. Findings  An analysis of the principal components of the gender role orientation questionnaire has led to four components, designated as egalitarianism, liberalism, feminism and hedonism. Constructed role orientation scales had Cronbachs's α reliabilities ranging from 0.57 to 0.74. With possible confounders controlled (thanks mainly to the prospective design), non‐traditional gender role orientation components assessed in 1992 predicted the usual quantities of alcohol women have consumed per occasion in 1997, as well as three hazardous drinking patterns (occasional use of ≥ 96 g alcohol, usual use of ≥ 48 g and daily intake of ≥ 40 g). Specifically, women's usual quantity per occasion and occasional use of ≥ 96 g were predicted by egalitarianism and hedonism, and hedonism predicted usual use of ≥ 48 g as well as average daily intake of ≥ 40 g ethanol. Conclusions  Women's gender role orientation can be associated with their drinking patterns with non‐traditional gender role identification being associated with greater likelihood of hazardous drinking.