Linda Ng Fat | University College London (original) (raw)
Papers by Linda Ng Fat
G This chapter presents data on frequency of drinking alcohol, the amount consumed on the heavies... more G This chapter presents data on frequency of drinking alcohol, the amount consumed on the heaviest drinking day in the previous week, and regular weekly drinking. It discusses the findings in the context of public health concerns about alcohol-related harms and policies to address these. Chapter 7 discusses problems of obtaining accurate data on alcohol use, presents data from a drinking diary used in HSE 2011, and compares the diary results with the interview data. G Based on interview data, 87% of men and 81% of women had drunk alcohol at least occasionally in the last year. 18% of men drank alcohol on five or more days in the previous week, compared with 10% of women. G Despite prevalence of drinking in the last year being high among adults, a substantial proportion of adults had not drunk in the last week (31% of men, 46% of women). G The frequency of drinking increased with age and this increase was greater for men than women. 29% of men aged 75 and over had drunk on five or mo...
Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2014
The objective of this study was to examine the relative contribution of factors explaining ethnic... more The objective of this study was to examine the relative contribution of factors explaining ethnic health inequalities (EHI) in poor self-reported health (pSRH) and limiting long-standing illness (LLI) between Health Survey for England (HSE) participants. Using HSE 2003-2006 data, the odds of reporting pSRH or of LLI in 8573 Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, Chinese, Indian, Irish and Pakistani participants was compared with 28,470 White British participants. The effects of demographics, socioeconomic position (SEP), psychosocial variables, community characteristics and health behaviours were assessed using separate regression models. Compared with White British men, age-adjusted odds (OR, 95% CI) of pSRH were higher among Bangladeshi (2.05, 1.34 to 3.14), Pakistani (1.77, 1.34 to 2.33) and Black Caribbean (1.60, 1.18 to 2.18) men, but these became non-significant following adjustment for SEP and health behaviours. Unlike Black Caribbean men, Black African men exhibited a ...
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2015
Ex-drinkers suffer from worse health than drinkers; however, whether a worsening of health is ass... more Ex-drinkers suffer from worse health than drinkers; however, whether a worsening of health is associated with a change in drinking status from early adulthood has not been previously investigated. We assess whether a worsening of health is associated with a cessation in consumption or reduction to special occasion drinking from early adulthood to middle age. Multinomial logistic regression assessing whether a change in self-reported limiting longstanding illness (LLI) was associated with ceasing alcohol consumption, or a reduction to special occasion drinking compared with being a persistent drinker from age 23 in separate models at ages 33, 42, and 50. All models adjusted for sex, poor psychosocial health, education, marital status, and children in the household. Sample included participants from Great Britain followed longitudinally in the National Child Development Study from ages 23 to 33 (N = 5,529), 42 (N = 4,787), and 50 (N = 4,476). Developing an LLI from the previous wave w...
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 2014
Non-drinkers are shown to have worse health than moderate drinkers in later life. We examine the ... more Non-drinkers are shown to have worse health than moderate drinkers in later life. We examine the preceding health status of non-drinkers in early adulthood, and secondly whether persistent poor health is associated with persistent non-drinking. Using two prospective British birth cohort studies established in 1958 (National Child Development Study (NCDS)) and in 1970 (British Cohort Study (BCS)), participants who reported 'never' or 'never had an alcoholic drink' to drinking status questions in successive waves from 23 to 26 years in the NCDS/BCS were derived as 'lifetime abstainers'. Logistic regression on the odds of being a lifetime abstainer was carried out on changes in limiting long-standing illness (LLSI) in the NCDS and long-standing illness (LSI) in the BCS, adjusting for sex, education, poor psychosocial health, marital and parental status. Participants with an LLSI in consecutive waves since 23 years had 4.50 times the odds of someone who did not have an LLSI of being a lifetime abstainer at 33 years (95% CI 1.99 to 10.18) and 7.02 times the odds at 42 years (2.39 to 20.66) after adjusting for all factors. Similarly, in the BCS, having an LSI in consecutive waves resulted in higher odds of being a lifetime abstainer at 30 years (OR 2.80, 1.88 to 4.18) and 34 years (OR 3.33, 2.01 to 5.53). Persistent LSI was associated with remaining a non-drinker across adulthood. Studies comparing the health outcomes of moderate drinkers to lifetime abstainers that do not account for pre-existing poor health may overestimate the better health outcomes from moderate alcohol consumption.
Addiction, 2012
Aims This study investigated associations between self-reported illness, social factors and healt... more Aims This study investigated associations between self-reported illness, social factors and health behaviours and non-drinking among young people aged 18-34 years. Design Logistic regression analysis of cross-sectional national survey data, collected from the Health Survey for England 2006 and 2008. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and are self-reported. Participants and settings A total of 2826 male and 3618 females aged 18-34 years drawn from a nationally representative multi-stage stratified probability sampling design across England. Measurements Non-drinkers were based on those who reported 'no' to drinking alcohol currently. Exposure measures included self-reports of having a limiting long-standing illness, long-standing illness or self-reported poor health. We adjusted for ethnicity, income, education, general physical activity and other factors. Findings Having a limiting long-standing illness during early adulthood increased the odds of being a non-drinker 1.74 times for men (P < 0.01) and 1.45 times for women (P < 0.01). In both men and women belonging to the lowest income quintile or having no qualifications was associated with increased odds of being a non-drinker (P < 0.001), indicating that the social gradient in non-drinking begins at an early age. Men and women aged 18-34 years with the lowest activity levels were also more likely to be non-drinkers (P < 0.01). Conclusion Young adults who have a limiting long-standing illness are more likely not to drink alcohol even after adjusting for a range of social and demographic measures. Studies on the putative health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption later in life need to take account of early life history.
G This chapter presents data on frequency of drinking alcohol, the amount consumed on the heavies... more G This chapter presents data on frequency of drinking alcohol, the amount consumed on the heaviest drinking day in the previous week, and regular weekly drinking. It discusses the findings in the context of public health concerns about alcohol-related harms and policies to address these. Chapter 7 discusses problems of obtaining accurate data on alcohol use, presents data from a drinking diary used in HSE 2011, and compares the diary results with the interview data. G Based on interview data, 87% of men and 81% of women had drunk alcohol at least occasionally in the last year. 18% of men drank alcohol on five or more days in the previous week, compared with 10% of women. G Despite prevalence of drinking in the last year being high among adults, a substantial proportion of adults had not drunk in the last week (31% of men, 46% of women). G The frequency of drinking increased with age and this increase was greater for men than women. 29% of men aged 75 and over had drunk on five or mo...
Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2014
The objective of this study was to examine the relative contribution of factors explaining ethnic... more The objective of this study was to examine the relative contribution of factors explaining ethnic health inequalities (EHI) in poor self-reported health (pSRH) and limiting long-standing illness (LLI) between Health Survey for England (HSE) participants. Using HSE 2003-2006 data, the odds of reporting pSRH or of LLI in 8573 Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, Chinese, Indian, Irish and Pakistani participants was compared with 28,470 White British participants. The effects of demographics, socioeconomic position (SEP), psychosocial variables, community characteristics and health behaviours were assessed using separate regression models. Compared with White British men, age-adjusted odds (OR, 95% CI) of pSRH were higher among Bangladeshi (2.05, 1.34 to 3.14), Pakistani (1.77, 1.34 to 2.33) and Black Caribbean (1.60, 1.18 to 2.18) men, but these became non-significant following adjustment for SEP and health behaviours. Unlike Black Caribbean men, Black African men exhibited a ...
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2015
Ex-drinkers suffer from worse health than drinkers; however, whether a worsening of health is ass... more Ex-drinkers suffer from worse health than drinkers; however, whether a worsening of health is associated with a change in drinking status from early adulthood has not been previously investigated. We assess whether a worsening of health is associated with a cessation in consumption or reduction to special occasion drinking from early adulthood to middle age. Multinomial logistic regression assessing whether a change in self-reported limiting longstanding illness (LLI) was associated with ceasing alcohol consumption, or a reduction to special occasion drinking compared with being a persistent drinker from age 23 in separate models at ages 33, 42, and 50. All models adjusted for sex, poor psychosocial health, education, marital status, and children in the household. Sample included participants from Great Britain followed longitudinally in the National Child Development Study from ages 23 to 33 (N = 5,529), 42 (N = 4,787), and 50 (N = 4,476). Developing an LLI from the previous wave w...
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 2014
Non-drinkers are shown to have worse health than moderate drinkers in later life. We examine the ... more Non-drinkers are shown to have worse health than moderate drinkers in later life. We examine the preceding health status of non-drinkers in early adulthood, and secondly whether persistent poor health is associated with persistent non-drinking. Using two prospective British birth cohort studies established in 1958 (National Child Development Study (NCDS)) and in 1970 (British Cohort Study (BCS)), participants who reported &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;never&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; or &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;never had an alcoholic drink&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; to drinking status questions in successive waves from 23 to 26 years in the NCDS/BCS were derived as &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;lifetime abstainers&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;. Logistic regression on the odds of being a lifetime abstainer was carried out on changes in limiting long-standing illness (LLSI) in the NCDS and long-standing illness (LSI) in the BCS, adjusting for sex, education, poor psychosocial health, marital and parental status. Participants with an LLSI in consecutive waves since 23 years had 4.50 times the odds of someone who did not have an LLSI of being a lifetime abstainer at 33 years (95% CI 1.99 to 10.18) and 7.02 times the odds at 42 years (2.39 to 20.66) after adjusting for all factors. Similarly, in the BCS, having an LSI in consecutive waves resulted in higher odds of being a lifetime abstainer at 30 years (OR 2.80, 1.88 to 4.18) and 34 years (OR 3.33, 2.01 to 5.53). Persistent LSI was associated with remaining a non-drinker across adulthood. Studies comparing the health outcomes of moderate drinkers to lifetime abstainers that do not account for pre-existing poor health may overestimate the better health outcomes from moderate alcohol consumption.
Addiction, 2012
Aims This study investigated associations between self-reported illness, social factors and healt... more Aims This study investigated associations between self-reported illness, social factors and health behaviours and non-drinking among young people aged 18-34 years. Design Logistic regression analysis of cross-sectional national survey data, collected from the Health Survey for England 2006 and 2008. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and are self-reported. Participants and settings A total of 2826 male and 3618 females aged 18-34 years drawn from a nationally representative multi-stage stratified probability sampling design across England. Measurements Non-drinkers were based on those who reported 'no' to drinking alcohol currently. Exposure measures included self-reports of having a limiting long-standing illness, long-standing illness or self-reported poor health. We adjusted for ethnicity, income, education, general physical activity and other factors. Findings Having a limiting long-standing illness during early adulthood increased the odds of being a non-drinker 1.74 times for men (P < 0.01) and 1.45 times for women (P < 0.01). In both men and women belonging to the lowest income quintile or having no qualifications was associated with increased odds of being a non-drinker (P < 0.001), indicating that the social gradient in non-drinking begins at an early age. Men and women aged 18-34 years with the lowest activity levels were also more likely to be non-drinkers (P < 0.01). Conclusion Young adults who have a limiting long-standing illness are more likely not to drink alcohol even after adjusting for a range of social and demographic measures. Studies on the putative health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption later in life need to take account of early life history.