AIMS: Evaluation of the hypothesis that women's non-traditional gender role orientation contributes to drinking patterns typical for men. DESIGN: A two-wave prospective study with data collected in 1992 and 1997. SETTING: The data reflect Czech women's changing gender role orientation and their drinking patterns during a historical period of post-totalitarian societal transformation. PARTICIPANTS: A representative cohort of 497 Prague women aged 30-59 years in 1997. MEASUREMENTS: Face-to-face interview data on drinking patterns and individually collected original questionnaire on gender role orientation. FINDINGS: An analysis of the principal components of the gender role orientation questionnaire has led to four components, designated as egalitarianism, liberalism, feminism and hedonism. Constructed role orientation scales had Cronbachs's alpha reliabilities ranging from 0.57 to 0.74. With possible confounders controlled (thanks mainly to the prospective design), non-traditional gender role orientation components assessed in 1992 predicted the usual quantities of alcohol women have consumed per occasion in 1997, as well as three hazardous drinking patterns (occasional use of > or = 96 g alcohol, usual use of > or = 48 g and daily intake of > or = 40 g). Specifically, women's usual quantity per occasion and occasional use of > or = 96 g were predicted by egalitarianism and hedonism, and hedonism predicted usual use of > or = 48 g as well as average daily intake of > or = 40 g ethanol. CONCLUSIONS: Women's gender role orientation can be associated with their drinking patterns with non-traditional gender role identification being associated with greater likelihood of hazardous drinking.

Prague Psychiatric Centre Czech Republic