Knowledge about Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong

  • Less than 2/5 of adults reported they had heard of the term "Alcohol unit".
 

Whether had ever heard of the term "Alcohol unit" among adults aged 18-64, 2015

Based on Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64, 37.3% of the respondents reported they had heard of the term 'Alcohol unit'.
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • About 7 in every 10 adults agreed to the incorrect statement that "Alcopops usually contain very low amount of alcohol". Besides, about 1 in every 2 adults agreed to the incorrect statement that "Alcopops are safer to drink than beer, table wine or hard liquor".
 

Awareness of alcohol content of alcopops among adults aged 18-64, 2015

Based on Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64, 71.3% and 47.8% of the respondents agreed to the incorrect statements that 'alcopops usually contain very low amount of alcohol' and 'alcopops are safer to drink than beer, table wine or hard liquor' respectively.
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • Close to 3/4 adults agreed to the correct statement that "The risk of cancer increases with volume of drinking".
  • Over 1/2 adults agreed to the correct statement that “Alcohol causes cancer”.
  • Only about 1/3 adults agreed to the correct statement that “Regular alcohol drinking, even consumed in only small amount, increases the risk of cancer”.
  • Over 1/2 adults agreed to the controversial statement that “Drinking a small amount of alcohol helps protect the heart”.
 

Knowledge about cancer-causing effect of alcohol and cardio-protective effect of moderate drinking among adults aged 18-64, 2015

Based on Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64, 73.2% and 56.0% of the respondents agreed to the correct statements that 'the risk of cancer increases with volume of drinking' and 'alcohol can cause cancer' respectively, but only 36.5% agreed that 'regular alcohol drinking, even consumed in only small amount, increases the risk of cancer'. 56.9% agreed to the controversial statement that 'drinking a small amount of alcohol helps protect the heart'.
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • Over 4/5 adults agreed to the correct statement that "Alcohol drinking can be addictive".
  • Over 4/5 adults agreed to the correct statement that "Alcohol is harmful to brain development in adolescents".
  • Over 3/4 adults agreed to the incorrect statement that "Alcohol drinking is harmful to health only when regular or heavy".
  • About 3/4 adults agreed to the incorrect statement that "Drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages on one occasion is not harmful as long as it is not a regular habit".
  • About 1 in every 14 adults agreed to the incorrect statement that “It is safe to drink alcohol during pregnancy”.
 

Knowledge about harmfulness of alcohol to health among adults aged 18-64, 2015

Based on Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64, 85.3% and 82.8% of the respondents agreed to the correct statements that 'alcohol drinking can be addictive' and 'alcohol is harmful to brain development in adolescents' respectively. Only 23.8% and 7.3% agreed to the incorrect statements that 'drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages on one occasion is not harmful as long as it is not a regular habit' and 'it is safe to drink alcohol during pregnancy' respectively, but 76.1% agreed that 'alcohol drinking is harmful to health only when regular or heavy'.
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • A majority of adults agreed that alcohol drinking could cause “liver cirrhosis”, “hypertension”, “stroke”, “heart failure” and “overweight/obesity”.
 

Knowledge about long-term effects of alcohol drinking on physical health among adults aged 18-64, 2015

The Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64 showed that a majority of the respondents agreed that alcohol drinking could cause liver cirrhosis (92.3%), hypertension (82.6%), stroke (80.0%), heart failure (69.2%) and overweight/obesity (64.0%).
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.
 
  • About 4/5 adults agreed that alcohol drinking could bring "accidental injuries", "acute alcohol poisoning", "physical fights and assault" and lead to "unsafe sex".
 

Knowledge about immediate effects of alcohol drinking among adults aged 18-64, 2015

The Department of Health's Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong conducted in 2015 on 2507 local adults aged 18-64 showed that  about fourth-fifths of the respondents agreed that alcohol drinking could bring accidental injuries (83.5%), acute alcohol poisoning (83.2%), physical fights (83.0%) and assault and lead to unsafe sex (78.7%).
Base: 2 507 community-dwelling adults aged 18-64.
Source: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study Pertaining to Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Hong Kong 2015. Hong Kong SAR: Department of Health.