Prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with heavy drinking in Brazil: cross-sectional analyses of the National Health Survey.

Objective: This article aims to characterize the heavy drinking behavior in the Brazilian population, using data from the two editions of the "National Health Survey" (PNS), 2013 and 2019.

Methods: The sample sizes in 2013 and 2019 were 60,202 and 88,943 individuals aged 18 years or older, respectively. The prevalence of the habit of heavy drinking (defined as 8 or more doses per week for women, and 15 or more doses for men) was estimated, and the confidence intervals were defined by sex, age group, schooling, skin color/race, marital status and household status (urban/rural). Poisson regression models were used to compare prevalence rates.

Results: 6.1% of Brazilians were heavy drinkers in 2013, and 7.3% in 2019. In the two editions of the PNS there was a gradient of reduction in heavy drinking throughout life, being the highest prevalence among young adults, men, with low schooling, single and living in the urban area.

Conclusions: The high prevalence rates expose the need to consider the habit of heavy drinking as a risk factor for the health of the Brazilian population, and the urgency to adopt strategies to reduce it.