Did you know that casual drinks with friends or having a “wine mom” moment to unwind could actually be nudging up your risk for breast cancer? It sounds like a buzzkill. But it’s a truth that many might not know: .
Authors
Monica Swahn
Dean of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, Kennesaw State University
Ritu Aneja
Professor of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in the School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham
The and the lay it out pretty clearly: Compared to those who don’t drink, just one drink a day can bump up your breast cancer risk by 5% to 9%.
As , we wanted to learn more about what women actually know about the connection between alcohol and breast cancer, especially since .
Explaining the knowledge gap
For our recently published research, we ages 18 and older across the U.S. in 2021 about whether they were aware of the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. We also asked them about their drinking habits and other health and background factors.
We were surprised to find that knew that alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer. Even more concerning, 35% didn’t think there’s any link at all. Another 40% were sitting on the fence about it.
We also saw a based on age, education and race.
Younger, more educated women and those facing alcohol-related issues were more in the know about the link between alcohol and breast cancer risk than older, less educated women and those who have not drank in the past year. Black women were also less aware of the risk between alcohol and breast cancer compared to white women.
Drinking less lowers breast cancer risk
Despite the attempts of alcohol researchers, health officials and advocates to and its connection to breast cancer, our findings show that this message isn’t getting across to most people.
There are also pervasive because some people don’t want to know that drinking can cause harm and . As a result, many women simply don’t know or are uncertain of the .
A comprehensive communication approach to increase awareness of alcohol’s harms and its link to cancer can help support and encourage women to make healthier choices regarding alcohol use.
can help inform people from diverse backgrounds about alcohol and breast cancer risk.
Policy changes with respect to alcohol marketing, access and availability can also make a difference in people’s drinking patterns.
These policies may also address the , which intentionally entices women to by normalizing or glamorizing heavy alcohol use and ignoring the health risks and harm caused. The World Health Organization on alcohol advertising and marketing along with higher taxes on alcohol to reduce alcohol-related harm.
Today’s dealing with life’s stresses by popping the cork.
But cutting down on alcohol is something that can make a difference in breast cancer risk. Stepping back and thinking about can help you make informed choices about whether to drink or not.
Monica Swahn receives funding from the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Institutes of Health and the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Science Foundation.
Ritu Aneja does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
