The Explanatory Roles of Habit and Intention on Alcohol Consumption by Adults at Home

Abstract

Aims:  The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of intention and habit in predicting adults’ drinking behaviour within the home setting. Measures:  A convenience sample of 414 Australians aged between 35 and 60 were recruited through targeted Facebook advertising. Eligibility criteria for study participation included reporting consuming alcohol at least once a week at home. Participants completed self-report measures of alcohol consumption, habit strength regarding home drinking behaviour, and intentions to consume alcohol. Differences in home drinking controlling for age and gender, by level of habit, and intention were examined using ANCOVA. Results:  Increases in intention were associated with an increase in home drinking. However, with habit and intention entered in the same model, only habit was a significant predictor of the amount of alcohol consumed in the home. For Australians, habit is a stronger predictor of alcohol consumption than intention. Conclusions:  Given that a large proportion of people are doing the majority of their drinking when at home, home-based interventions which target the habitual nature of home consumption may help to reduce consumption and related harm.