The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between sociodemographic background (gender, age, household situation, socioeconomic status, and region of residence) and the level of alcohol-related harm, when controlling for actual drinking habits in terms of average volume and binge drinking frequency. The dependent variables, modelled in logistic regressions, were summary measures of four areas of harm from alcohol–-impaired self-control, chronic health problems, public disorder, and interpersonal problems. The data was drawn from a 2002 Swedish national survey, consisting of 5,469 completed telephone interviews with adults 17 years old and above. Across all the problem areas, sociodemographic background variables seem to be rather weak overall predictors of experienced harm from drinking. The strongest effects found, besides drinking itself, were for being young–-especially for public disorder and impaired self-control. Socioeconomic indicators (income and education) and marital status also showed some significant effects, but these pointed in different directions for men and women, as well as for the different problem areas. Almost no regional differences could be observed. The results are, at least in part, in line with the so-called two-step model–-particularly for people above 30. According to this model, sociodemographic variables are good predictors of variation in drinking habits, while other factors may have a higher explanatory value for the harm from a given level of drinking. Based on the findings, interventions aimed to affect everybody's drinking might be preferred rather than harm reduction strategies targeted at particular risk groups.
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