Association between heavy episodic drinking and medication use among Latvian population

Introduction. Heavy episodic drinking (HED) is recognised as a significant and increasing global public health issue. According to WHO estimates, one-fifth of the European population has experienced at least one episode of HED in the past 30 days. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between HED and increased odds of using analgesics, sedatives, and antidepressants.
This study aimed to investigate the association between HED and medication use among Latvian residents aged 15 to 74 years.
Methodology. This cross-sectional study used the 2022 survey database from the Latvian Health Behaviour Study, analysing data from 2,835 residents aged 15 to 74 years. HED was defined according to the WHO criteria as consuming 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on a single occasion in the past 30 days. Dependent variables included medication use for headaches, other pain, sedatives, and antidepressants in the past seven days. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine the association between HED and medication use, including interaction with gender.
Results. 35.1% of men and 9.5% of women engaged in HED. While overall odds of medication use did not differ significantly between HED groups, gender-stratified analyses revealed that women who engaged in HED were twice as likely to use medication for headaches and sedatives, and 1.5 times more likely to use medication for other pain, regardless of age. No significant differences were observed in antidepressant use among women across HED groups.
Conclusions. The odds of using the studied medications, excluding antidepressants, were higher among women with HED patterns. This association was not observed among men. Further research is necessary to elucidate this complex association, as it remains largely unexplored.