Alcohol Consumption and Dietary Practices in the U.S. Population: 1987 and 1992

Research indicates that the link between alcohol and poor nutrition is highly complex. Alcohol consumption is known to disrupt nutritional status via several mechanisms. One mechanism by which alcohol may affect nutrition is by inducing changes in dietary practices. Findings are presented based on 2 years of data from a national survey of health-related activities. The relationship between alcohol consumption and dietary practices—such as types of food consumed, whether vitamins were taken, belief that diet influences health, and frequency of eating out—is examined. The results show that associations exist between alcohol and diet after controlling for demographic and health variables. These findings have important implications for understanding the interaction between alcohol intake and nutritional status and the effect of this interaction on overall health.