Alcohol Consumption and Marital Status in the Czech Republic

Background: Associations between alcohol consumption and marital status (living alone/living with a partner) are broadly discussed. The protective mechanism highlights the social integrative function of marriage and the role of social control over risk-taking behaviour. Selected studies have documented an association between marriage and lower alcohol consumption, but the evidence is not straightforward. Aims: This paper reviews documented interactions between marriage/partnership in relation to alcohol consumption and adds empirical evidence on this relationship from Czechia, where alcohol consumption is common and well tolerated. Data and methods: Literature review and meta-analyses was conducted. Divorces due to alcohol were enumerated. Alcohol consumption was compared between those living with and without partner based on data from the Czech Household Panel Survey 2017 and the SHARE − Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Results: Divorces due to alcohol decrease. Living with a partner is however associated with higher and riskier alcohol consumption in both sexes. Living alone is more linked with being an abstainer. Conclusion: Higher alcohol consumption among those with partner stems from complex nature of relationships. The present findings however need to be validated by further analyses on more robust data, such as death rates.