Drinking Patterns among Urban Women

Abstract

A cross-sectional study, fielded in 1980, collected data on women’s drinking in a random sample residing in the urbanized area of Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The interview utilized standard measures for assessing current drinking behaviour, including a quantity-frequency measure based on how often one drinks and types of beverages. A “Reasons for Drinking” scale was used similar to that originally developed by Mulford and Miller (1963) and later adapted by Cahalan et al (1969). The study employed a telephone sampling technique for random digit dialing using a computer-assisted method as described by Sudman (1973). Of the 3,875 telephone numbers assigned to the study, 53% yielded working numbers. Of the 2,081 working numbers, 80%, or 1,669 were eligible households in which one or more adult women lived. Of these households, 68% were successfully interviewed yielding 1,084 questionnaires usable in final form.