Social and epidemiological research on alcohol: research presented at meetings of the Kettil Bruun Society between 1983 and 2010.

Aims: To study developments in the research agenda on social and epidemiological research on alcohol between 1983 and 2010, as presented at meetings of the Kettil Bruun Society (KBS). Design and setting: All papers presented at all annual meetings of the KBS between 1983 and 1993 are reviewed with regard to the content of the papers, the research methods used, the country of origin and demographic characteristics of the presenters. KBS papers from the years 2002/2003 and 2009/2010 are compared with those from 1983 to 1993 to determine changes in research authorship, methodology and/or focus. Results and conclusions: Both in the period 1983 to 1993 and in the years 2002/2003 and 2009/2010, many papers describe general drinking patterns and/or alcohol problems. In all three research periods approximately 40% of the papers are based on surveys. However, some clear changes can be distinguished with regard to the research fields addressed and the research methods used. There seems to be increasing attention to multi-method studies and the combination of quantitative and qualitative research. In addition, methodologies have become more advanced and more varied over the years. Results show a continuous increase in the number of researchers (particularly female) submitting papers. Between 1983 and 1993 almost all participants came from North America (the United States and Canada) and Europe, especially the Nordic countries. In 2009/2010 researchers from many more countries were involved. (aut. ref.