At a population level, the burden of harm from drinking alcohol is significant. Using data from UK Biobank, we will investigate the association between alcohol consumption and harm to health. We will consider various aspects of alcohol consumption, including the context of drinking, such as whether it is consumed with meals. Health outcomes will be considered in a broad sense, from injuries to disease and death.
It will also be important to explore possible mechanisms that underlay the relationship between alcohol and health outcomes, so that we can find possible ways to prevent or delay harm. Identifying factors that may lead an individual to drink heavily will inform effective screening and intervention programs to reduce the harm associated with drinking.
To our knowledge this will be the first study to attempt to synthesise these research questions using the unique data in UK Biobank
Given the complexity and the number of variables involved in the analyses we will use, we anticipate that this project will take at least 36 months.