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Who becomes an abstainer? On the abstainer as deviant The principal aim of the study is to find out what the characteristics are of those consumers that later choose to abstain from alcohol. Both cross-sectional and panel data from the level-of-living surveys (LNU) conducted 1968, 1974, 1981 and 1...

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Main Authors: Mona Backhans, Håkan Leifman
Format: Article
Language:Danish
Published: Swedish Sociological Association 2001-01-01
Series:Sociologisk Forskning
Online Access:https://sociologiskforskning.se/sf/article/view/19448
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author Mona Backhans
Håkan Leifman
author_facet Mona Backhans
Håkan Leifman
author_sort Mona Backhans
collection DOAJ
description Who becomes an abstainer? On the abstainer as deviant The principal aim of the study is to find out what the characteristics are of those consumers that later choose to abstain from alcohol. Both cross-sectional and panel data from the level-of-living surveys (LNU) conducted 1968, 1974, 1981 and 1991 are analysed. The results show that those becoming abstainers during the study period have a higher proportion of smokers than the long-term abstainers and, compared to the long-term abstainers and the drinkers, poorer mental health, a higher prevalence of use of minor tranquillizers and a sparser social network. In the beginning of the study period (1968-74) an association was also found between cardiovascular disease and later abstinence. Whereas (physical) health selection has become less obvious over time, the importance of negative psychosocial selection increases, especially for women. The findings underline the importance of distinguishing the new, selected abstainers - former drinkers - from long-term abstainers. This holds true especially in studies of the relationship between alcohol consumption on the one hand and mortality or morbidity on the other hand. It is likely that a majority of the long-term abstainers, of which some are lifetime abstainers, are part of a social context in which abstinence is not seen as deviant, whereas a large proportion of the new abstainers have a problematic life situation. The abstainers’ deviant position says something about the Swedish drinking culture in the last decades of the twentieth century. The fact that the psychosocial selection is so pronounced, and increases over time, reflects a social climate where an ever-decreasing number sees abstinence as an attractive choice.
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spelling doaj.art-50cf1d2aac314c3aa6ddfb9cd1a708e72023-02-01T11:20:00ZdanSwedish Sociological AssociationSociologisk Forskning0038-03422002-066X2001-01-0138110.37062/sf.38.19448Vem blir nykterist?Mona Backhans0Håkan Leifman1FolkhälsoinstitutetSoRAD Who becomes an abstainer? On the abstainer as deviant The principal aim of the study is to find out what the characteristics are of those consumers that later choose to abstain from alcohol. Both cross-sectional and panel data from the level-of-living surveys (LNU) conducted 1968, 1974, 1981 and 1991 are analysed. The results show that those becoming abstainers during the study period have a higher proportion of smokers than the long-term abstainers and, compared to the long-term abstainers and the drinkers, poorer mental health, a higher prevalence of use of minor tranquillizers and a sparser social network. In the beginning of the study period (1968-74) an association was also found between cardiovascular disease and later abstinence. Whereas (physical) health selection has become less obvious over time, the importance of negative psychosocial selection increases, especially for women. The findings underline the importance of distinguishing the new, selected abstainers - former drinkers - from long-term abstainers. This holds true especially in studies of the relationship between alcohol consumption on the one hand and mortality or morbidity on the other hand. It is likely that a majority of the long-term abstainers, of which some are lifetime abstainers, are part of a social context in which abstinence is not seen as deviant, whereas a large proportion of the new abstainers have a problematic life situation. The abstainers’ deviant position says something about the Swedish drinking culture in the last decades of the twentieth century. The fact that the psychosocial selection is so pronounced, and increases over time, reflects a social climate where an ever-decreasing number sees abstinence as an attractive choice. https://sociologiskforskning.se/sf/article/view/19448
spellingShingle Mona Backhans
Håkan Leifman
Vem blir nykterist?
Sociologisk Forskning
title Vem blir nykterist?
title_full Vem blir nykterist?
title_fullStr Vem blir nykterist?
title_full_unstemmed Vem blir nykterist?
title_short Vem blir nykterist?
title_sort vem blir nykterist
url https://sociologiskforskning.se/sf/article/view/19448
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