Women's Drinking w Kate Kersey.mp3

New research out of the University of Auckland is exploring how middle-aged women understand and manage their drinking.

The study found that many women have a strong awareness of alcohol’s effects on their bodies, particularly when it comes to things like sleep, energy, and overall well-being. But those understandings are shaped by broader social expectations around productivity, health, and self-care.

Producer Pranuja spoke with Dr Kate Kersey,  a researcher in the department of social and community health at the University of Auckland, about how women navigate those pressures, and what that tells us about drinking culture in Aotearoa.