Motivation to reduce alcohol consumption and subsequent attempts at reduction and changes in consumption in increasing and higher‐risk drinkers in England: a prospective population survey

AIMS: To assess how far motivation to reduce alcohol consumption in increasing and higher‐risk drinkers in England predicts self‐reported attempts to reduce alcohol consumption and changes in alcohol intake during the following 6 months. METHODS: This study used self‐reported data from 2928 higher‐risk drinkers in the Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS): a series of monthly cross‐sectional household surveys of adults aged 16+ years of age in England. Alcohol consumption was measured in an initial survey and in a 6‐month telephone follow‐up interview using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)‐C questionnaire. Motivation was measured in the initial survey using the Motivation to Reduce Alcohol Consumption (MRAC) scale. Attempts to reduce alcohol consumption during the past 6 months were recorded at follow‐up. Data were analysed using repeated‐measures difference‐in‐differences and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Participants with higher initial motivation to reduce alcohol consumption were more likely to report that they had made an attempt to reduce consumption at follow‐up [adjusted odds ratio (OR(adj)) = 2.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.75–3.29]. There was an overall reduction in alcohol consumption between initial survey and follow‐up (OR(adj) = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.65–0.79), but there was insufficient evidence of an additional effect of motivation to reduce consumption on subsequent changes in alcohol consumption, with the difference‐in‐differences effect instead suggesting an average increase (OR(adj) = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.00–1.88). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing and higher‐risk drinkers in England who report greater motivation to reduce their consumption are more likely to report making an attempt to reduce during the next 6 months, but this may not be associated with a reduction in alcohol consumption.