Self-Reported Knowledge, Correct Knowledge and Use of UK Drinking Guidelines among a Representative Sample of the English Population

Researchers from the University of Sheffield have investigated UK drinker's decision making. This research examines public knowledge and use of UK drinking guidelines exploring a representative sample of the English population.

Published in early 2018, the research was carried out prior to the implementation of new drinking guidelines in the UK, declared in 2016, which removed variance in the recommended limit of units between men and women. The new guidelines also make clear that there is no level of drinking which can be considered "safe" putting emphasis on the importance of language used in health promotion. 

Exploring different demographics, measuring self-reported knowledge and implementation of drinking guidelines the research team also explored links between smoking, alcohol consumption and knowledge of health conditions. Drinkers were asked if they were aware of low risk drinking guidelines, weekly consumption limits based on gender and to estimate their adherence to these limits. 

The research found that those who smoked were more likely to overestimate the pre-2016 safer alcohol consumption limits, while those who underestimated were more likely to be male or have a low rate of education. Accurate estimation was associated with a high level of education. The study found that while the pre-2016 guidelines had been in operation for 20 years, only 66.2% of those surveyed could accurately estimate the consumption guidelines and only 20.8% would use these guidelines to monitor their drinking "only sometimes". This means that only 1 in 4 drinkers could accurately estimate the existing drinking guidelines. 

This research was carried out to explore options for promotion of the new 2016 guidelines to the UK public and the use of guidelines as an effective tool in public health.