Prevalence and Correlates of Heavy Episodic Alcohol Consumption among Adults in Ecuador: Results of the First National STEPS Survey in 2018.

Supa Pengpid,Karl Peltzer

doi:10.3390/ijerph17239017

Abstract

Thise study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of heavy episodic drinking (HED) among adults in Ecuador. In the national, cross-sectional 2018 Ecuador STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPS) survey, 4638 persons (median age = 39 years, range 18–69 years) responded to a questionnaire and physical measures. Logistic regression was used to assess the determinants of HED. Results indicate that 24.1% had past-month HED, 36.7% among men, and 12.0% of women; among past-12-month drinkers, 40.6% had past-month HED. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, male sex (adjusted odds ratio = AOR: 3.03, 95% confidence interval = CI: 2.44–3.77), past smoking (AOR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.12–1.81), and current smoking (AOR: 2.94, 95% CI: 2.25–3.86) were positively associated with HED, and being aged 50–69 years (AOR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.39–0.68) was negatively associated with HED. In sex-stratified analyses among men, being African Ecuadorean or Mulato (AOR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.07–2.84) and high physical activity (AOR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.02–2.01) were positively associated with HED, and among women, being Montubia (AOR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16–0.90) was negatively associated with HED and obesity (AOR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.38) was positively associated with HED. Almost one in four participants engaged in HED, and several sociodemographic and health indicators were identified associated with HED.

Highlights

Harmful alcohol use is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease [1]
First stage: selection of primary sampling units (PSU) by stratum; second stage: selection of 12 occupied households within each PSU selected in the first stage; and the third stage: random selection of 1 participant aged
The Ethical Review Committee of the Ecuador Ministry of Health provided ethical approval of the study, and written informed consent was obtained from the study participants [33]

Summary

Introduction

Harmful alcohol use is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease [1]. 18.2% of persons 15 years and older were estimated to engage in HED in 2016 [3], and HED is expected to increase to 23% in 2030 [4]. In the Americas region, the prevalence of HED (≥15 years) decreased from 29.4% in 2000 to 21.3% in 2016 [3], and in 2016 in Columbia it was 15.4%, in Peru. 26.3%, in Argentina 23.0%, in Bolivia 21.1%, in Brazil 19.7%, and in Ecuador 21.3% [3]. In national population-based surveys, the prevalence of HED was, among regular alcohol users, 46% in Brazil [5], and among the general population, 12.5% in Ethiopia [6] and 12.8% in Kenya [7].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion