Alcohol consumption patterns among women in Baltimore

A telephone survey of women aged 18 + (N = 1084) in Baltimore during 1980 showed that 8.1% had a heavy alcohol intake (2 + drinks per day) and that 22.4% engaged in escape drinking. Age, race, marital status, maternal status, income, education, employment and degree of urbanization were examined for their relationships with the amount of alcohol consumption and the prevalence of escape drinking. Multivariate analysis showed that being married or widowed, lower educational attainment and less egalitarian sex-role attitudes were associated with lower alcohol consumption.