Projects & Research Partnerships

Introduction

Alcohol-related harm disproportionately impacts individuals from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, including those from minority ethnic groups, despite comparable or even lower levels of alcohol consumption compared to higher SES groups.

This disparity highlights a pressing public health concern, as individuals from lower SES backgrounds are more vulnerable to the detrimental effects of alcohol. Recognising this, the UK government has promoted the substitution of alcoholic drinks with alcohol-free or low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks as a potential harm reduction strategy.

However, the effectiveness of this strategy in reducing health inequalities remains uncertain. Current evidence suggests that no/lo drink consumption is more prevalent among higher SES groups. This raises concerns that the increased adoption of no/lo drinks may inadvertently widen existing health disparities rather than mitigate them.

Research objectives

This project aims to address this critical gap in knowledge by investigating the barriers to no/lo drink consumption among individuals from lower SES groups. Specifically, it will:

• Delve into how these individuals perceive the role of no/lo drinks in reducing or quitting alcohol consumption.
• Identify the perceived and actual obstacles they face in incorporating no/lo drinks into their attempts to moderate or cease drinking.
• Explore potential strategies to overcome these barriers and increase the substitution of alcoholic drinks with no/lo alternatives.
• Examine how the availability of no/lo drinks in retail settings (off-trade) varies between deprived and affluent communities.

Research methods

The project will consist of two distinct studies:

Phase 1: Interviews

• In-depth semi-structured interviews will be conducted with 15 adults from lower SES backgrounds who drink at risky levels.
• These interviews will explore participants' perceptions of no/lo drinks, their motivations (or lack thereof) for consuming them, and the specific barriers they encounter in incorporating no/lo drinks into their drinking patterns.
• Thematic analysis will be used to analyse the interview data, identifying key themes and patterns related to individual perceptions, attitudes, and experiences.

Phase 2: Retail audit

• A discrete retail audit will be conducted to assess the availability of no/lo drinks in off-trade premises (supermarkets, convenience stores) in both deprived and affluent areas of Sheffield.
• This audit will systematically collect data on the range, price, and marketing of no/lo drinks across different retail environments.
• Descriptive and statistical analyses will be employed to compare the availability, price, and marketing of no/lo drinks across different areas, identifying potential disparities in access based on socioeconomic factors.

Project aims

By addressing the unique challenges faced by lower SES groups, this research aims to inform the development of targeted interventions that can effectively promote the adoption of no/lo drinks as a viable harm reduction strategy for all members of society.

The project runs in parallel to the NIHR-funded project 'Evaluating and responding to the public health impact of no and low alcohol drinks: A multi-method study of a complex intervention in a complex system' (also known as the No/Lo Project). Over the course of four years the project is examining whether making non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks more available and popular in the UK can improve people's health.