Alcohol Consumption, Obesity, and Psychological Distress in Farming Communities—An Australian Study

Alcohol consumption patterns nationally and internationally have been identified as elevated in rural and remote populations. In the general Australian population, 20.5% of adult males and 16.9% of adult females drink at short‐term, high‐risk levels. Farmers are more likely to drink excessively than those living in major cities. This study seeks to explore the relationships between farmers’ physical and mental health and their alcohol consumption patterns. Our hypothesis is that farmers consume alcohol at high‐risk levels more often than the Australian average and that this consumption is associated with obesity and psychological distress.