BAR-MAN

About the Project

Men in mid-life are more likely than younger men to drink regularly and exceed lower-risk drinking guidelines. However, relatively little research has explored how mid-life men think about alcohol, the barriers they face when trying to reduce their drinking, and the types of support they would find acceptable.

In collaboration with Professor Richard Cooke and Emma Rouse, OxBAR-Lab is developing a programme of research to better understand alcohol use in mid-life men and identify opportunities for intervention and harm reduction.

Current Projects

Barriers to Alcohol Reduction in Mid-Life Men

We recently conducted a focus group study with mid-life men to explore reasons for drinking alcohol, barriers to alcohol reduction, attitudes towards support services, and views on potential tools to support those who would like to drink less alcohol. We are currently analysing and writing up the findings.

MAGMA (Mid-life Men, Alcohol and Alcohol-Free Alternatives)

MAGMA explores how mid-life men understand, use and perceive alcohol-free and low-alcohol (NoLo) products. The study examines men's drinking motives, patterns of NoLo use, attitudes towards NoLo products, and whether they are perceived as useful tools for reducing alcohol consumption.

Together, these projects aim to improve our understanding of alcohol use in mid-life men and inform the development of future interventions and support options.

Current Status

• Focus group study: Analysis and write-up underway.

• MAGMA survey: Data collection and analysis ongoing.

Find Out More

• Preregistration: MAGMA protocol: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/3GC6W 

• Publications: Forthcoming