The Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Income
Location
Lions Eye Center
Document Type
Poster
Start Date
28-4-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
28-4-2025 1:30 PM
Description
Introduction: The presentation will examine the relationship between income and alcohol consumption using the most recent NHANES data sets. The purpose of the study was to investigate differences in alcohol consumption among people at different income levels. Method: We collected data on the frequency of alcoholic consumption in the past 12 months and data on income to poverty ratio. The data sets were downloaded using SAS Universal Viewer and transferred to Microsoft Excel 2016 to merge, sort, and analyze the statistics. Respondents were divided into four groups based on alcohol consumption (1-never/rarely, 2-occasional, 3-moderate, 4-heavy). We used a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to investigate potential differences between groups, along with post-hoc analysis using Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) tests to identify specific differences among groups. Results: Group differences were found to be significant (F(3, 4115) = 39.7296, p < .001). Post-hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test indicated that all group comparisons on income had significant differences except between the Moderate and Heavy reporters of alcohol use. Finally, visual inspection of the means reveals a trend between household income and alcohol use. Discussion: The complex relationship between alcohol consumption patterns and income levels is predicated on various factors including affordability, social norms, and access to different types of alcohol. People with more resources and higher income ratios are more likely to afford better brands and more alcoholic beverages than those with less resources and lower income levels. Understanding the nuances of these factors and how they shape certain patterns is paramount for present and future research.
Recommended Citation
Holder, Claire, "The Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Income" (2025). School of Allied Health Professions Research Day. 12.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/ahrd/2025/posters/12
The Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Income
Lions Eye Center
Introduction: The presentation will examine the relationship between income and alcohol consumption using the most recent NHANES data sets. The purpose of the study was to investigate differences in alcohol consumption among people at different income levels. Method: We collected data on the frequency of alcoholic consumption in the past 12 months and data on income to poverty ratio. The data sets were downloaded using SAS Universal Viewer and transferred to Microsoft Excel 2016 to merge, sort, and analyze the statistics. Respondents were divided into four groups based on alcohol consumption (1-never/rarely, 2-occasional, 3-moderate, 4-heavy). We used a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to investigate potential differences between groups, along with post-hoc analysis using Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) tests to identify specific differences among groups. Results: Group differences were found to be significant (F(3, 4115) = 39.7296, p < .001). Post-hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test indicated that all group comparisons on income had significant differences except between the Moderate and Heavy reporters of alcohol use. Finally, visual inspection of the means reveals a trend between household income and alcohol use. Discussion: The complex relationship between alcohol consumption patterns and income levels is predicated on various factors including affordability, social norms, and access to different types of alcohol. People with more resources and higher income ratios are more likely to afford better brands and more alcoholic beverages than those with less resources and lower income levels. Understanding the nuances of these factors and how they shape certain patterns is paramount for present and future research.