IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i19p10347-d647834.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is Buying and Drinking Zero and Low Alcohol Beer a Higher Socio-Economic Phenomenon? Analysis of British Survey Data, 2015–2018 and Household Purchase Data 2015–2020

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Anderson

    (Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Newcastle NE2 4AX, UK
    Department of Health Promotion, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands)

  • Amy O’Donnell

    (Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Newcastle NE2 4AX, UK)

  • Daša Kokole

    (Department of Health Promotion, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands)

  • Eva Jané Llopis

    (Department of Health Promotion, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands
    Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
    ESADE Business School, Ramon Llull University, 08034 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Eileen Kaner

    (Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Newcastle NE2 4AX, UK)

Abstract

Zero and low alcohol products, particularly beer, are gaining consideration as a method to reduce consumption of ethanol. We do not know if this approach is likely to increase or decrease health inequalities. The aim of the study was to determine if the purchase and consumption of zero and low alcohol beers differs by demographic and socio-economic characteristics of consumers. Based on British household purchase data from 79,411 households and on British survey data of more than 104,635 adult (18+) respondents, we estimated the likelihood of buying and drinking zero (ABV = 0.0%) and low alcohol (ABV > 0.0% and ≤ 3.5%) beer by a range of socio-demographic characteristics. We found that buying and consuming zero alcohol beer is much more likely to occur in younger age groups, in more affluent households, and in those with higher social grades, with gaps in buying zero alcohol beer between households in higher and lower social grades widening between 2015 and 2020. Buying and drinking low alcohol beer had less consistent relationships with socio-demographic characteristics, but was strongly driven by households that normally buy and drink the most alcohol. Common to many health-related behaviours, it seems that it is the more affluent that lead the way in choosing zero or low alcohol products. Whilst the increased availability of zero and low alcohol products might be a useful tool to reduce overall ethanol consumption in the more socially advantageous part of society, it may be less beneficial for the rest of the population. Other evidence-based alcohol policy measures that lessen health inequalities, need to go hand-in-hand with those promoting the uptake of zero and low alcohol beer.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Anderson & Amy O’Donnell & Daša Kokole & Eva Jané Llopis & Eileen Kaner, 2021. "Is Buying and Drinking Zero and Low Alcohol Beer a Higher Socio-Economic Phenomenon? Analysis of British Survey Data, 2015–2018 and Household Purchase Data 2015–2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-13, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10347-:d:647834
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10347/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10347/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew Leicester, 2012. "How might in-home scanner technology be used in budget surveys?," IFS Working Papers W12/01, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    2. Andrew Leicester & Zoë Oldfield, 2009. "Using Scanner Technology to Collect Expenditure Data," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 30(Special I), pages 309-337, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abd Alghani Khamis & Aida Idris & Abdallah Abdellatif & Noor Ashikin Mohd Rom & Taha Khamis & Mohd Sayuti Ab Karim & Shamini Janasekaran & Rusdi Bin Abd Rashid, 2023. "Development and Performance Evaluation of an IoT-Integrated Breath Analyzer," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-26, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pierre Dubois & Rachel Griffith & Aviv Nevo, 2014. "Do Prices and Attributes Explain International Differences in Food Purchases?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(3), pages 832-867, March.
    2. Martin O'Connell & Áureo de Paula & Kate Smith, 2021. "Preparing for a pandemic: spending dynamics and panic buying during the COVID‐19 first wave," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 249-264, June.
    3. Matthew Polisson, 2018. "A lattice test for additive separability," IFS Working Papers W18/08, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    4. Mike Brewer & Cormac O'Dea, 2012. "Measuring living standards with income and consumption: evidence from the UK," IFS Working Papers W12/12, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    5. Matthew Polisson, 2011. "Goods Versus Characteristics: Revealed Preference Procedures for Nested Models," Economics Series Working Papers 531, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    6. Griffith, Rachel & von Hinke, Stephanie & Smith, Sarah, 2018. "Getting a healthy start: The effectiveness of targeted benefits for improving dietary choices," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 176-187.
    7. Rachel Griffith & Sarah Smith & Stephanie von Hinke Kessler Scholder, 2014. "Getting a healthy start? Nudge versus economic incentives," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 14/328, The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK.
    8. Rachel Griffith & Martin O'Connell & Kate Smith, 2017. "Design of optimal corrective taxes in the alcohol market," IFS Working Papers W17/02, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    9. Griffith, Rachel & O’Connell, Martin & Smith, Kate, 2019. "Tax design in the alcohol market," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 20-35.
    10. Llopis, Eva Jané & O'Donnell, Amy & Anderson, Peter, 2021. "Impact of price promotion, price, and minimum unit price on household purchases of low and no alcohol beers and ciders: Descriptive analyses and interrupted time series analysis of purchase data from ," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    11. Andrew Leicester, 2012. "How might in-home scanner technology be used in budget surveys?," IFS Working Papers W12/01, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    12. O’Connell, Martin & Smith, Kate & Stroud, Rebekah, 2022. "The dietary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Ji Yan & Kun Tian & Huw D. Dixon & Saeed Heravi & Peter Morgan, 2014. "Shop Around and You Pay More," CESifo Working Paper Series 4940, CESifo.
    14. repec:bri:cmpowp:13/328 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Fichera, Eleonora & von Hinke, Stephanie, 2020. "The response to nutritional labels: Evidence from a quasi-experiment," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    16. Naohito Abe & Kyosuke Shiotani, 2014. "Who Faces Higher Prices? An Empirical Analysis Based on Japanese Homescan Data," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 94-115, January.
    17. Griffith, Rachel & Nesheim, Lars, 2013. "Hedonic methods for baskets of goods," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 284-287.
    18. Schmacker, Renke & Smed, Sinne, 2020. "Do prices and purchases respond similarly to soft drink tax increases and cuts?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    19. Brewer, Mike & O'Dea, Cormac, 2012. "Measuring living standards with income and consumption: evidence from the UK," ISER Working Paper Series 2012-05, Institute for Social and Economic Research.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10347-:d:647834. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.