Alcohol marketing, drunkenness, and problem drinking among Zambian youth: findings from the 2004 Global School-Based Student Health Survey.

Monica H Swahn,Bina Ali,George Sikazwe,John Mayeya,Jane B Palmier

doi:10.1155/2011/497827

Abstract

This study examines the associations between alcohol marketing strategies, alcohol education including knowledge about dangers of alcohol and refusal of alcohol, and drinking prevalence, problem drinking, and drunkenness. Analyses are based on the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Zambia (2004) of students primarily 11 to 16 years of age (N = 2257). Four statistical models were computed to test the associations between alcohol marketing and education and alcohol use, while controlling for possible confounding factors. Alcohol marketing, specifically through providing free alcohol through a company representative, was associated with drunkenness (AOR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.09–2.02) and problem drinking (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06–1.87) among youth after controlling for demographic characteristics, risky behaviors, and alcohol education. However, alcohol education was not associated with drunkenness or problem drinking. These findings underscore the importance of restricting alcohol marketing practices as an important policy strategy for reducing alcohol use and its dire consequences among vulnerable youth.

Highlights

Alcohol use is a serious risk factor for chronic diseases and injuries worldwide [1]
This study examined the prevalence of exposure to alcohol education and alcohol marketing practices among youth in Zambia
The findings show that many of the youth have received alcohol education; 41% of students said they had been taught about the dangers of alcohol and 45% reported that they knew how to refuse an alcoholic drink

Summary

Introduction

Alcohol use is a serious risk factor for chronic diseases and injuries worldwide [1]. Alcohol causes 1.8 million or 3.2% of all deaths and accounts for 4.0% of the disease burden [2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently prioritized reducing the harmful use of alcohol globally through monitoring and technical support [13]. Data is relatively limited, it is clear that the disease burden related to alcohol use is especially great among low-income and middle-income populations and countries where alcohol consumption is increasing and injury rates are high due to limited implementation of public health policies and prevention strategies [1, 2]. In Zambia 40.8% of adolescents (36.7% of boys and 45.2% of girls) have ever drunk alcohol [20]

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