Abstract
BackgroundAlcohol use leads to about 3 million deaths globally. The alcohol industry employs marketing strategies to establish their brands in the lives of young people at a time when addictive behaviors are initiated and reinforced. We conducted a survey among adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) to estimate the prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors using the Health Belief Model as the guiding framework.MethodsThe study was conducted among ABYM in- or out-of-school aged 10–24 years in Kampala, Uganda. We used questions adopted from the Global School-based Student Health Survey and the WHO STEPwise approach to Surveillance questionnaire to collect data. The outcome of interest was alcohol use within 30 days before the interview. We also asked about characteristics such as alcohol use by siblings, parents/ guardians, school status among others. We used odds ratios obtained via a logistic regression model as the measure of association.Results A total of 2500 ABYM participated, of which 262 (10.5 %, 95 %CI 9.3–11.7) had consumed alcohol within 30 days before the interview. Out-of-school ABYM had higher odds of consuming alcohol compared with their in-school counterparts AOR 1.55 (95 %CI 1.09–2.20). Compared with ABYM whose parents/ guardians did not drink alcohol, ABYM whose both parents consumed alcohol had higher odds of consuming alcohol AOR 2.24 (95 %CI 1.38–3.64) as were those with only a mother or female guardian who consumed alcohol AOR 1.95 (95 %CI 1.11–3.41). ABYM with siblings that drink alcohol had higher odds of consuming alcohol AOR 2.25 (95 %CI 1.80–3.52). ABYM who possessed items with an alcohol brand logo had higher odds of consuming alcohol AOR 2.00 (95 %CI 1.33–3.01).ConclusionsThere are significant levels of alcohol consumption among ABYM which calls for evidence-based measures targeting this age group to reduce consumption and recognizing the role of the family, school and community in prevention and promotion of use. There is need to regulate alcohol marketing and ensuring availability of alcohol dependence treatment services that build confidence among youth.
Highlights
Alcohol use leads to about 3 million deaths globally
Study site The study was conducted among adolescent boys and young men within the five divisions of Kampala, the Capital City of Uganda with an estimated population of 1,650,800 [22]
An assessment by World Health Organization (WHO) established that banning alcohol advertising to reduce alcohol consumption is cost effective and can have incremental benefits when coupled with taxation [34]
Summary
Alcohol use leads to about 3 million deaths globally. The alcohol industry employs marketing strategies to establish their brands in the lives of young people at a time when addictive behaviors are initiated and reinforced. An analysis of current trends of alcohol consumption globally projected that alcohol abstention would reduce from 43 % to 2017 to 40 % in 2030 while the proportion of current drinkers would increase from 47 % to 2017 to 50 % in 2030 [2] This increase in the number of alcohol consumers has been attributed to the tactical and deliberate marketing strategies employed by the alcohol industry to establish and entrench their brands in the lives of people especially the youth [3]. A review of the effects of alcohol use on the brain and behaviour among young people noted that alcohol use was associated with difficulties in verbal learning, visualspatial processing as well as deficits in the development of the central nervous system [4] The result of these effects include a reduction in cognitive flexibility, behavioural inefficiencies, increased anxiety, disinhibition and risk taking. There has been a steady increase in the prevalence of obesity in Uganda from 8 % to 1995 [8], 18.8 % in 2011 [9] and 24 % in 2016 [10]
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