Risk factors of hazardous alcohol use among adult males: A systematic review

Abstract

Background & Aim: Hazardous alcohol use is the most prevalent form of alcohol misuse, distinct from harmful or dependent use. This drinking behavior is a widespread practice among males, leading to a myriad of health and social challenges. Preventing hazardous alcohol use is crucial to reducing negative consequences and avoiding more severe forms of alcohol misuse. There has been no systematic review of its risk factors. This study aims to provide comprehensive information on hazardous alcohol use risk factors in adult males by systematically summarizing current evidence.

Methods & Materials: The protocol was registered with PROSPERO. PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, EBSCOhost (APA PsycArticles), and Google Scholar were searched. The inclusion criteria were English-language observational studies published between 2012 and 2022 with male participants aged 18 to 65. Two reviewers carried out the quality assessment. A narrative synthesis was conducted to synthesize the findings.

Results: Out of 6,842 records yielded from the systematic search, 20 studies were included. All of these were cross-sectional studies with 19 out of 20 classified as high quality and one as moderate. The included studies identified several factors that increased the risk of hazardous alcohol use including lower education level, positive family history of alcohol use, smoking, high alcohol density neighborhoods, depressive symptoms, drinking motives, and negative life events. Little research has been done on other variables that may also play a role.

Conclusion: Several risk factors for hazardous alcohol use were identified. Future research, particularly longitudinal studies, is recommended to validate these findings.