Hazardous drinking by age at migration and duration of residence among migrants in Sweden

Sweden, with its history of restrictive alcohol policies and a large and diverse migrant population, constitutes an interesting context for studies on alcohol consumption patterns in migrant groups. This study examines how hazardous drinking among migrants in Sweden varies by origin, duration of residence and age at migration.

Pooled cross-sectional survey data from the Västra Götaland region of Sweden, collected in 2011 and 2015, were linked to register data containing demographic, socioeconomic and migration-related factors (i.e., country of birth, duration of residence, age at migration), for 7754 migrants and 68,493 Swedish-born individuals aged 18-84 years. Logistic regression analyses were applied to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for hazardous drinking, identified by the validated Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.

Relative to Swedish-born individuals, migrants from other Nordic countries had higher odds of hazardous drinking (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.18-1.77), while migrants from other European (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.44-0.69) and non-European (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.20-0.31) countries showed lower likelihoods. Among non-Nordic migrants in particular, hazardous drinking was more common among those with a longer duration of residence and those who migrated at pre-school ages.

Hazardous drinking among non-Nordic migrants increasingly resembled that of the Swedish-born population over time, aligning with findings in less restrictive alcohol policy contexts. Understanding how drinking patterns vary among migrant groups over time and across policy contexts is essential for developing effective public health strategies to reduce hazardous consumption and associated health and social harms.