The increase in alcohol consumption among women: a phenomenon related to accessibility or stress? A general population study.

This population survey of Norwegian women (N = 3997) and their husbands explore the relative importance of accessibility and stress variables in explaining the level of women's alcohol consumption. Among the accessibility-variables, population density and husbands' alcohol consumption have a significant impact on the women's consumption. Employment among women is not significantly related to their alcohol use when controlling for the husbands' consumption. Stress variables (work stress, nervousness) have no significant influence on consumption when controlling for accessibility variables. The findings show that the increase in women's consumption of alcohol is more specifically related to accessibility, variables with a close relationship to lifestyle, rather than to general accessibility to alcoholic beverages.