Journal articles in English by Janne T. Härkönen
International Journal of Drug Policy, Mar 29, 2016
Abstract
Background
Finland was an agricultural country until the 1960s. Thereafter, Finland mo... more Abstract
Background
Finland was an agricultural country until the 1960s. Thereafter, Finland modernized rapidly. Studies have postulated that as Finland becomes modernized, intoxication-oriented drinking would gradually decrease. Current studies, however, show that heavy episodic drinking has lately become more common among men and women. Simultaneously, drinking is seldom motivated by the purpose of getting drunk. The article tackles this conundrum by approaching drinking motives from a ritual and an individual perspective. We study what kinds of drinking motives currently exist in Finland, their prevalence among different population groups, how they vary by social background, and their association with intoxication.
Methods
The data were collected as part of the nationally representative Drinking Habit Survey in 2008. It consists of verbal descriptions on the most recent drinking occasion (N = 521), estimations of its blood alcohol content, and responses to pre-defined standardized motive questions related to the latest drinking occasions (N = 8732).
Results
Besides the motive ‘to get drunk’, also the motives of drinking as a ‘time-out’ ritual, ‘to get into the mood’ and ‘I drunk to brighten up’ predict a “wet” drinking occasion. Overall, Finns highlight drinking motives of sociability, relaxation, meal drinking and situational factors. The more educated orientate to their drinking more with motives that express mastery of cultural capital and individuality. The less educated and the young, again, orientate to their drinking more with motives that imply intoxication and external expectations.
Conclusions
Whereas the ritual perspective discloses what kinds of situations predict intoxication, the individual perspective reveals what kinds of individualistic orientations are associated with drunkenness. These perspectives partly speak past each other and are difficult to combine. The article proposes that situational perspective would serve as a bridge between them and enable the incorporation of results from different research traditions.
Keywords:
Drinking motives, The ritual perspective, The individual perspective, Intoxication, Mixed methods
Papers by Janne T. Härkönen
European Addiction Research, 2017
To examine the long-term predictors of persistence of risky drinking in a baseline group of risky... more To examine the long-term predictors of persistence of risky drinking in a baseline group of risky drinkers in whom alcohol use disorder had not been diagnosed. The data was derived from a representative sample of the Finnish adult population aged 30 years or more, surveyed at 2 time points in the years 2000 (n = 5,726) and 2011 (n = 3,848, 67.2% of the baseline sample). Risky drinking was defined using BSQF-measurement (for men, 21 standard UK drinks or more per week; for women 14+ drinks) and not having alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. The sample of risky drinkers in baseline comprised 642 persons, of whom 380 (59.2%) people provided follow-up data. Multivariable logistic regression models were estimated to identify determinants of persistence of risky drinking. The rate for persistence of risky drinking was 48.7%. Persistence was predicted by daily smoking, low physical activity, and male gender, whereas higher age and later onset of drinking predicted cessation of risky drinking. Daily smoking remained an independent predictor after adjusting for other risk factors. Health behaviour predicts the persistence of risky drinking in a study population of adults aged 30 and over. These factors should be taken into account when assessing the long-term prognosis on risky drinking.
Drug and Alcohol Review, Feb 7, 2023
Substance Use & Misuse, Oct 28, 2021
Background: People should be able to quit or moderate their drinking without negative social cons... more Background: People should be able to quit or moderate their drinking without negative social consequences, but studies have shown how nondrinkers often face pressure and negative reactions. As previous research has mostly focused on youth, we conducted a population-level study of the ways adult nondrinkers encounter their drinking companions on drinking occasions and what kinds of reactions they perceive from their social environments. Method: The data were based on the Finnish Drinking Habits Survey (FDHS), a general population survey of Finns aged 15-79 collected in 2016 (N = 2,285; 330 nondrinkers; response rate 60%). Characteristics of drinking occasions where nondrinkers participate ("non-drinking occasions") were measured through self-reports of frequency, time, purpose, and social companion on those occasions. Nondrinkers' experiences of non-drinking occasions and reactions from the social environment were measured by question batteries on social consequences. Results: Compared with drinking occasions, non-drinking occasions occurred more often at family events at home than on late-night drinking occasions. Accordingly, nondrinkers reported relatively low levels of negative consequences, and the reported consequences were least frequent in the oldest age group. Nondrinkers reported mostly positive feedback from people around them, more often from family members than from peers. However, negative consequences were reported in all studied groups, most commonly among youth and former drinkers. Conclusions: The study indicates that nondrinkers' social environments may be more supportive than what has been suggested previously, yet coping mechanisms are required especially from youth and former drinkers. The positive social experiences of being a nondrinker should guide the promotion of moderate and non-drinking.
Addiction research & theory, Nov 6, 2009
ABSTRACT
KUVIO 4.1. 15-79-vuotiaiden suomalaisten jakau tuminen pitkäaikaisten terveyshaittojen riskiryhmi... more KUVIO 4.1. 15-79-vuotiaiden suomalaisten jakau tuminen pitkäaikaisten terveyshaittojen riskiryhmiin (jakautuminen alkoholin keskikulutuksen mukaan). Korkea riski 5 % Kohtalainen riski 8 % Raitis Vähäinen riski 72 % 15 % KUVIO 4.2. 15-79-vuotiaiden suomalaisten jakau tuminen humalahaittojen riskin mukaan (jakautuminen sen mukaan, kuinka monta kertaa on juonut 5 annosta tai enemmän). ≥ 12 kertaa 27 % 0 kertaa 28 % Raitis 15 % 1-11 kertaa 30 % 48 KULUTUS JA HAITAT
Addiction, Feb 25, 2016
To assess long-term effects of alcohol policy in Sweden by estimating the differences between coh... more To assess long-term effects of alcohol policy in Sweden by estimating the differences between cohorts growing up during periods with liberal alcohol policies and a cohort growing up during a period with restrictive alcohol policy. The data come from repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in Sweden between 2002 and 2013, and were collected monthly using telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample. Cohorts were constructed by identifying periods when alcohol policy differed between being more liberal or more restrictive. The liberal-period cohorts were merged into one and compared with the restrictive-period cohort. Sweden. A total of 127 480 adult Swedes born between 1951 and 1989. Monthly volume of alcohol consumption in litres of pure alcohol derived from a beverage-specific graduated quantity-frequency scale. Relative to the liberal-period reference cohorts (who turned 15 between 1966 and 1977 or 1992 and 2004), the cohort that grew up during a period with restrictive alcohol policy (turning 15 between 1978 and 1991) was found to have lower alcohol consumption (coeff. = -0.039: confidence interval -0.050 to -0.027: P < 0.001). The mean volume for the liberal and restrictive cohorts across all survey years was 0.42 and 0.38 litres of pure alcohol, respectively. Consumption development for the period 2002-13 was, however, the same for both cohort groups. Men and women in Sweden who grew up during a period with more restrictive alcohol policies currently drink less alcohol than those who grew up during periods with more liberal policies.
Suomalaisnuorten raittius lisääntyy edelleen, mutta samalla kannabiskokeilut ovat lisääntyneet Pe... more Suomalaisnuorten raittius lisääntyy edelleen, mutta samalla kannabiskokeilut ovat lisääntyneet Perusopetuksen 9. vuosiluokan oppilaiden alkoholinkäyttö on vähentynyt vuosituhannen vaihteesta lähtien. Keväällä 2019 kerätty European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) aineisto osoittaa, että yhä useampi nuori ei käytä lainkaan alkoholia. Kun vuonna 1999 raittiiden nuorten osuus oli yhdeksän prosenttia, oli vuonna 2019 vastaava osuus 31 prosenttia. Humalajuomisen väheneminen on kuitenkin pysähtynyt. 22 prosenttia 15-16-vuotiaista oli vuonna 2019 juonut itsensä humalaan 30 viime päivän aikana.
Drugs-education Prevention and Policy, Jul 26, 2021
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Nov 1, 2021
OBJECTIVE To understand the contexts and characteristics of drinking occasions, we typologized dr... more OBJECTIVE To understand the contexts and characteristics of drinking occasions, we typologized drinking occasions and examined how different aspects of drinking vary in them and what part of population-level drinking and intoxication occasions each covers. METHOD A Finnish general population survey in 2016 (n = 2,285) with event-level data on drinking occasions (n = 6,697) was used. Occasion types were identified by latent class analysis. The characteristics of the drinking occasions were location, purpose, company, timing, duration, the amounts and beverages drunk, and estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC). RESULTS Eight drinking occasion classes were identified. The three most common ones were all light drinking occasions at home, with the company varying. Five of the eight types were about socializing with people beyond the family. The heaviest drinking occasion type, "big party nights," had an average eBAC of .12%, which seemed to be connected to the long duration of these occasions. The most important contributors to total population-level intoxication occasions were "big party nights" and "at home with the family" occasions (accounting for 30% and 20%, respectively). In terms of contributions to the population's total alcohol consumption, the order of these classes was reversed (19% and 26%, respectively). Drinking at home with no visitors covered 40% of all the alcohol drunk in Finland. Different types of occasions varied little in beverage type composition. CONCLUSIONS For acute harm, "big party nights" are important to consider because of the prevalence of intoxication, whereas for chronic harm, drinking at home without visitors is even more important to consider.
Addiction research & theory, Jul 7, 2021
Abstract Purpose: A period of first increasing and then decreasing alcohol consumption in Finland... more Abstract Purpose: A period of first increasing and then decreasing alcohol consumption in Finland in the 2000s offers an opportunity to scrutinize how population-level changes stem from varying developments in different population subgroups and drinking patterns. We examine 1) whose consumption changed in terms of age, sex, and level of consumption, and 2) how drinking patterns changed and whether the changes indicated steps toward a more Mediterranean drinking style. Material and methods: The main data source was the Finnish Drinking Habits surveys of 2000, 2008, and 2016 of the general Finnish population aged 15–69 years (n = 6703, response rates 59–78%). Results: Before 2008, consumption increased particularly among women and Finns aged 50+. After 2008, abstinence became more frequent and regular drinking less frequent. Additionally, heavy episodic drinking decreased, especially among men and in younger age groups. However, compared to earlier, similar levels of the volume of alcohol consumption did not result from a more Mediterranean drinking style, i.e. consuming smaller quantities more frequently. Finnish men continue to report very high maximum drinking amounts. The changes in both periods occurred as collective changes across the whole continuum of consumption from light to heavy drinkers. Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that during the period of decreasing per capita alcohol consumption, both the frequency of drinking overall and of heavy episodic drinking decreased, but heavy episodic drinking is still prevalent.
Addiction
Background and AimsIn Finland, per‐capita alcohol consumption increased in the early 2000s and de... more Background and AimsIn Finland, per‐capita alcohol consumption increased in the early 2000s and decreased after 2007. Our aim was to determine how these changes originated from changes in drinking practices.DesignRepeated cross‐sectional general‐population surveys.SettingFinland in 2000, 2008 and 2016.ParticipantsFinnish residents aged 15–69 years (n = 6703, response rate 59–78%).MeasurementsEvent‐level data on drinking occasions (n = 21 097). Types of drinking occasions (drinking practices) were identified with latent class analysis using occasion characteristics. The aggregated volume of consumption and intoxication occasions were decomposed into contributions from drinking practice classes and years.FindingsNine drinking occasion types were identified: three at home without company other than family (51% of occasions in 2016), three socializing occasions in different places and with different company (33%) and three party occasion types (16%). Both the frequency of drinking occasi...
Juomisen ritualistiset ja yksilolliset motiivit ja niiden yhteys humalaan 2000-luvun Suomessa
Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 2020
Aim:The present article summarises status and trends in the 21st century in older people’s (60–79... more Aim:The present article summarises status and trends in the 21st century in older people’s (60–79 years) drinking behaviour in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and concludes this thematic issue. Each country provided a detailed report analysing four indicators of alcohol use: the prevalence of alcohol consumers, the prevalence of frequent use, typical amounts of use, and the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking (HED). The specific aim of this article is to compare the results of the country reports.Findings:Older people’s drinking became more common first in Denmark in the 1970s and then in the other countries by the 1980s. Since 2000 the picture is mixed. Denmark showed decreases in drinking frequency, typically consumed amounts and HED, while in Sweden upward trends were dominant regarding prevalence of consumers and frequency of drinking as well as HED. Finland and Norway displayed both stable indicators except for drinking frequency and proportion of women consumers where tr...
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Journal articles in English by Janne T. Härkönen
Background
Finland was an agricultural country until the 1960s. Thereafter, Finland modernized rapidly. Studies have postulated that as Finland becomes modernized, intoxication-oriented drinking would gradually decrease. Current studies, however, show that heavy episodic drinking has lately become more common among men and women. Simultaneously, drinking is seldom motivated by the purpose of getting drunk. The article tackles this conundrum by approaching drinking motives from a ritual and an individual perspective. We study what kinds of drinking motives currently exist in Finland, their prevalence among different population groups, how they vary by social background, and their association with intoxication.
Methods
The data were collected as part of the nationally representative Drinking Habit Survey in 2008. It consists of verbal descriptions on the most recent drinking occasion (N = 521), estimations of its blood alcohol content, and responses to pre-defined standardized motive questions related to the latest drinking occasions (N = 8732).
Results
Besides the motive ‘to get drunk’, also the motives of drinking as a ‘time-out’ ritual, ‘to get into the mood’ and ‘I drunk to brighten up’ predict a “wet” drinking occasion. Overall, Finns highlight drinking motives of sociability, relaxation, meal drinking and situational factors. The more educated orientate to their drinking more with motives that express mastery of cultural capital and individuality. The less educated and the young, again, orientate to their drinking more with motives that imply intoxication and external expectations.
Conclusions
Whereas the ritual perspective discloses what kinds of situations predict intoxication, the individual perspective reveals what kinds of individualistic orientations are associated with drunkenness. These perspectives partly speak past each other and are difficult to combine. The article proposes that situational perspective would serve as a bridge between them and enable the incorporation of results from different research traditions.
Keywords:
Drinking motives, The ritual perspective, The individual perspective, Intoxication, Mixed methods
Papers by Janne T. Härkönen
Background
Finland was an agricultural country until the 1960s. Thereafter, Finland modernized rapidly. Studies have postulated that as Finland becomes modernized, intoxication-oriented drinking would gradually decrease. Current studies, however, show that heavy episodic drinking has lately become more common among men and women. Simultaneously, drinking is seldom motivated by the purpose of getting drunk. The article tackles this conundrum by approaching drinking motives from a ritual and an individual perspective. We study what kinds of drinking motives currently exist in Finland, their prevalence among different population groups, how they vary by social background, and their association with intoxication.
Methods
The data were collected as part of the nationally representative Drinking Habit Survey in 2008. It consists of verbal descriptions on the most recent drinking occasion (N = 521), estimations of its blood alcohol content, and responses to pre-defined standardized motive questions related to the latest drinking occasions (N = 8732).
Results
Besides the motive ‘to get drunk’, also the motives of drinking as a ‘time-out’ ritual, ‘to get into the mood’ and ‘I drunk to brighten up’ predict a “wet” drinking occasion. Overall, Finns highlight drinking motives of sociability, relaxation, meal drinking and situational factors. The more educated orientate to their drinking more with motives that express mastery of cultural capital and individuality. The less educated and the young, again, orientate to their drinking more with motives that imply intoxication and external expectations.
Conclusions
Whereas the ritual perspective discloses what kinds of situations predict intoxication, the individual perspective reveals what kinds of individualistic orientations are associated with drunkenness. These perspectives partly speak past each other and are difficult to combine. The article proposes that situational perspective would serve as a bridge between them and enable the incorporation of results from different research traditions.
Keywords:
Drinking motives, The ritual perspective, The individual perspective, Intoxication, Mixed methods