The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia

BACKGROUND: In Australia, midlife women are experiencing increasing levels of risky drinking behaviours and alcohol-related harms. This is despite the general population trend of decreasing alcohol consumption overall. In light of these diverging trends, this research explores the role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women from their own perspective. METHODS: Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 47 women aged 35–59 years of age. Residents from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia were recruited, as this group of women appear to be experiencing heightened alcohol-related harms, with an alcohol-related hospitalisation rate 40 % higher than the NSW state average in 2017–18. RESULTS: Midlife women described the practical utility of drinking as a habit to relieve stress and escape trauma, as well as an effective method for creating and strengthening social connections within the parenthood life stage. Participants also described the act of moderation as a potent trigger for peer pressure and discussed the individual's tendency to prioritise the short term relieving effects of drinking, despite awareness of the long term health risks. CONCLUSION: Findings around the pro-social role of alcohol as a woman and a parent should be explicitly considered when designing ‘swap it’ population health messages. Furthermore, the marked social penalty of moderation and tendency to discount long term health risks should also be factored into health promotion messages which seek to utilise moderation as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm for midlife women.