Improving alcohol health literacy and reducing alcohol consumption: recommendations for Germany

TY - JOUR

T1 - Improving alcohol health literacy and reducing alcohol consumption: recommendations for Germany

AU - Manthey, Jakob

AU - Kokole, Daša

AU - Riedel-Heller, Steffi

AU - Rowlands, Gill

AU - Schäfer, Ingo

AU - Schomerus, Georg

AU - Soellner, Renate

AU - Kilian, Carolin

N1 - © 2023. The Author(s).

PY - 2023/5/9

Y1 - 2023/5/9

N2 - BACKGROUND: Although the detrimental health effects of alcohol are well established, consumption levels are high in many high-income countries such as Germany. Improving alcohol health literacy presents an integrated approach to alcohol prevention and an important complement to alcohol policy. Our aim was to identify and prioritize measures to enhance alcohol health literacy and hence to reduce alcohol consumption, using Germany as an example.METHODS: A series of recommendations for improving alcohol health literacy were derived from a review of the literature and subsequently rated by five experts. Recommendations were rated according to their likely impact on enhancing (a) alcohol health literacy and (b) reducing alcohol consumption. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using a two-way intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC).RESULTS: Eleven recommendations were established for three areas of action: (1) education and information, (2) health care system, and (3) alcohol control policy. Education and information measures were rated high to increase alcohol health literacy but low to their impact on alcohol consumption, while this pattern was reversed for alcohol control policies. The ratings showed good agreement (ICC: 0.85-0.88).CONCLUSIONS: Improving alcohol health literacy and reducing alcohol consumption should be considered complementary and become part of a comprehensive alcohol strategy to curb the health, social, and economic burden of alcohol.

AB - BACKGROUND: Although the detrimental health effects of alcohol are well established, consumption levels are high in many high-income countries such as Germany. Improving alcohol health literacy presents an integrated approach to alcohol prevention and an important complement to alcohol policy. Our aim was to identify and prioritize measures to enhance alcohol health literacy and hence to reduce alcohol consumption, using Germany as an example.METHODS: A series of recommendations for improving alcohol health literacy were derived from a review of the literature and subsequently rated by five experts. Recommendations were rated according to their likely impact on enhancing (a) alcohol health literacy and (b) reducing alcohol consumption. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using a two-way intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC).RESULTS: Eleven recommendations were established for three areas of action: (1) education and information, (2) health care system, and (3) alcohol control policy. Education and information measures were rated high to increase alcohol health literacy but low to their impact on alcohol consumption, while this pattern was reversed for alcohol control policies. The ratings showed good agreement (ICC: 0.85-0.88).CONCLUSIONS: Improving alcohol health literacy and reducing alcohol consumption should be considered complementary and become part of a comprehensive alcohol strategy to curb the health, social, and economic burden of alcohol.

KW - Humans

KW - Health Literacy

KW - Ethanol

KW - Alcohol Drinking/prevention & control

KW - Germany

KW - Public Policy

U2 - 10.1186/s13722-023-00383-0

DO - 10.1186/s13722-023-00383-0

M3 - SCORING: Review article

C2 - 37161561

VL - 18

SP - 28

JO - ADDICT SCI CLIN PRAC

JF - ADDICT SCI CLIN PRAC

SN - 1940-0640

IS - 1

ER -